


Don't Think Twice

by Hikari_and_Yami



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Illustrated, M/M, Sex, The boys are drama llamas, and feelingsssssss, and in severe denial
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 03:57:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 48,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16946556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hikari_and_Yami/pseuds/Hikari_and_Yami
Summary: The one where you fall in love with the wrong person. - Blindshipping -Illustrated. Art by @lesssend.





	1. Cross The Line

**Author's Note:**

> yo! this is my new fic following the conclusion of S&AD. Still working on my other wips, no worries. 
> 
> Anywho, I'm just gonna say it now - this fic involves... so much banging. Literally just hardcore arguably kinky sex, and Atem & Yuugi being drama llamas. 
> 
> So if that's not your cup of tea, no problem, you can take a look at some of my lighter stuff floating around this site. Otherwise, enjoy! 
> 
> Inspired by - "Don't Think Twice" by Utada Hikaru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few important notes - 
> 
> 1) I have commissioned art for this fic by the lovely and talented @lesssend. More of their work can be found on tumblr. Though not every single chapter will contain illustrations, lots will.
> 
> 2) Some of the art (and like 75% of the writing) is explicit. So please take this as an additional warning.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

Yuugi had first met Atem when he was eighteen, the elder an even twenty.

They didn’t particularly get along when they were first introduced to one another - still didn’t, actually.

Their friends would even go as far as to say that they actively disliked each other.

It had some merit.

After all, their personalities clashed from the moment they met, more so than most, and not much had seemed to improve on that front over the six years that followed.

Right off the bat, Atem had found Yuugi’s stubborn and argumentative nature exhausting. Atem considered himself a reserved and composed individual, prided himself on it actually, so it wasn't difficult to piece together why Atem was so put off by Yuugi - an intrusive little man with pervasive boundary issues; a man who poked and prodded and pried until Atem felt as if either his sanity would snap or that he would  _physically_  snap Yuugi in half.

Yuugi, on the other hand, had never known anyone other than Atem to be so utterly full of themselves. The man’s ego, Yuugi surmised, must have been made of glass with how much the other felt the need to overcompensate. Yuugi had not shied away from pointing out the other’s abrasive superiority complex and, sure, it was possible, he supposed, that he may have called Atem a narcissist on more than one occasion. 

It’s not like he was wrong though.

It was only after four years of heated altercations of varying degrees that Atem and Yuugi began to actively avoid one another, for both the sake of their blood pressure and their mutual circle of friends.

It was the only thing to date that provided any sort of resolution. Other attempts to reconcile their differences almost always ended in a rather impressive explosion of flames and curse words. They simply could not agree on anything - politics, music, religion, food, the color of the sky, it didn't fucking matter, they were always at odds with each other. 

Two years ago, they finally just settled for staying away from the other and, on the few occasions since then that they did cross paths, it was with a paper-thin tolerance that they were able to co-exist in the same space.  

Tonight was one such occasion. 

It was Katsuya's 25th birthday, a close friend of both. It was an event that neither of them would dare miss, under serious threat of getting their asses kicked by said blond friend for missing out on his birthday celebrations. 

Atem sighed through his nose at the thought. He had left his group to stand rigidly at the bar and wait for a new drink. He tried to readjust his mindset, didn't want his attitude to shine through and put a damper on Katsuya's night, but it was a harder feat than one would think. He couldn't help it. He was annoyed.

At the ear-piercing music, at the strobe lights that tried to permanently blind him, and at the bartender for taking so long to pour a glass of scotch.

It wasn't enough to say that clubs were outside of his comfort zone. There was little else Atem considered more irritating after all than being surrounded by drunk, loud, sweaty patrons, and paying for overpriced drinks, only to have said drinks spilled on his ironed, button-up shirt by some obnoxious club-goer with two left feet.  

He'd rather be subjected to anything else. 

Atem glanced to his right when he felt someone walk up into the open space beside him at the bar and inwardly groaned. 

He should have clarified, he would rather be subjected to anything else _other_ _than_ a conversation with the five foot five migraine standing next to him, though he knew that the odds were not in his favor tonight.  

"Scotch?" Yuugi questioned him, those rather ridiculous eyes glancing between him and the empty glass in his hand. "Seems a bit much for a two star club, no?"

Atem blinked at him, his expression etched with boredom. "It's a drink for those of us more cultured. I don't think someone like you would enjoy it much."

Yuugi's blue eyes rolled to stare up at a spot on the ceiling. "Well, don't let me stop you from showing these barely legal party-goers how sophisticated you are," he muttered, though still loud enough for Atem to hear over the club's music.  

The older man clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and gazed down at Yuugi with a raised brow. "Do you ever open your mouth to say anything intelligent?" he asked with feigned curiosity. 

"Ouch, that's harsh. I must have really hurt your ego there, huh?" Yuugi responded. "Sorry, I've forgotten how fragile it is."

Atem exhaled, deciding then that, in comparison to Yuugi, clubs were indeed fun. "You like fighting with me, don't you?" Atem phrased it like a question, but it wasn't. "Is this your excitement for the night? I imagine your life must be rather dull."

"And I imagine yours to be difficult, having to walk around with that stick so far up your ass."

Atem had to take a deep breath and inhale the retort that had initially sprung forth. What he _really_ wanted to tell Yuugi was to shut his goddamn mouth, had wanted to tell Yuugi that from the moment he met him, but the words felt too unrefined on his lips. So instead, he said, "Perhaps you can seek the attention you so desperately crave from some other unfortunate soul."

Atem was eternally indebted to the bartender, all previous transgressions forgiven, when the burly man finally arrived with his drink and slid it across the bar top towards him.

Atem could only hope that the strong alcohol would help him forget this idiotic conversation. 

 

* * *

 

Yuugi thought himself to be a pretty good person. Not the greatest, perhaps, but decent. He stopped by his old family home a few times a week to help his elderly grandfather run a small game shop out of the basement. He gave the occasional five dollar bill to the homeless beggar on the side of the road. He didn't kick any puppies or drown any orphans or vice versa.

So, overall a pretty decent human, though it seemed that the universe did not agree with him.

Why else would he end up in the middle of the street, at three in the morning, dragging Katsuya's drunk ass back to the blond man's apartment with the help of none other than Atem? 

His only saving grace here was that Atem had remained relatively silent during the trek, his lips a thin line on his face. This was the most time they had spent in each other's company in years, and neither man seemed particularly pleased about breaking that streak.

The only time Atem did part his lips during their voyage was near the very end, the older man grunting when they were forced to carry Katsuya up two flights of stairs with very little assistance from the drunk birthday boy. 

Yuugi was grateful for the bathroom situated to the left of the entryway in Katsuya's apartment. Any further, and they would not have made it in time. Yuugi audibly winced when his inebriated friend began emptying his stomach contents into the toilet with a violent jerk forward, hands gripping the rim of the seat cover.

Taking a step back, Yuugi lifted his right arm to wipe the sweat that had gathered on his forehead during their stair fiasco with the back of his hand. Despite the physical exertion of lugging 180 pounds of dead weight through the city streets, Yuugi was still feeling rather tipsy himself, four glasses of wine deep.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder at Atem, who was still standing like a statue a few feet behind him, a scowl marring his tan face.  

"If I didn't know any better," Yuugi said with a tilt of his head, "I'd say you weren't enjoying yourself."

Atem clearly didn't think he warranted a response, because he didn't get one. 

Yuugi shrugged. "Stay with him," he said to Atem. "I'm going to get him some water."

Atem still didn't consider the younger man worthy of actually words, and Yuugi would've pushed the matter further if Katsuya's well-being weren't at the forefront of his mind. 

Atem watched with only his eyes as Yuugi disappeared into the kitchen, before turning his attention back to his very impaired friend. 

 _How?_ he wondered angrily. How in God's name did he end up here, stuck between a vomiting Katsuya and what was essentially his worst nightmare wrapped up in a short twenty-four year-old Japanese man.  

Atem released an audible groan, lifting a hand to scrub at his face in frustration. He supposed that, regardless of the how, the fact remained that he was here and uncertain of what to do next. Clearly, Katsuya needed aid and comfort, but Atem wasn't exactly the comforting type. Not to mention, he had three glasses of scotch to help him survive the evening and, though he wasn't drunk, his mind was certainly not operating at full capacity. 

Another minute passed before Yuugi returned with a glass of water, bypassing Atem to hover in the threshold of the bathroom. Placing the cup down on the edge of the sink, Yuugi removed the black hair tie from around his wrist and crouched down to brush his fingers through Katsuya's hair, pulling loose blond strands back to tie them together on the top of Katsuya's head. Task completed, he proceeded to whisper quiet comforts to the heaving blond man, one of his hands coming up to rub a spot on Katsuya's back, right in between his shoulder blades. 

Atem observed the gestures from afar with a raise of a single brow.

It was curious, the way Yuugi soothed their fallen comrade...

Yuugi's eyes were softer, Atem noticed, worried even. The defiant edge in the younger man's voice had mellowed out, and it was the first time that Atem had caught the dulcet undertones in Yuugi's voice. 

It was... strange.

Atem had only really ever seen Yuugi as a petulant child and his own personal tormentor.

But this. 

This was new.  

"Atem." 

The elder snapped to attention, focusing on Yuugi's eyes which were looking at him, irritation within their depths. "Are you just gonna continue to stand there like you've gone daft, or are you gonna actually help me put Jou to bed?"

Atem rolled his eyes, the moment gone and his dislike of the other man returning.

Entering the small bathroom - too small for three people to fit comfortably - Atem leaned down towards them and wrapped one of Katsuya's arms around his shoulders, using the leverage to lift the blond back onto his feet. Yuugi bore some of the weight too, holding onto Katsuya's other side, his free hand cradling the glass of water he had retrieved from the sink.

The hallway leading to Katsuya's room was tiny, so small they had to angle themselves in order to wiggle their way through with their blond friend slung over their shoulders. Katsuya's room was much larger though and easier to navigate. They were able to lower their friend down onto his mattress with little difficulty. 

Then, Atem stepped back and allowed Yuugi to take the lead again. 

He watched with quiet eyes as Yuugi went about taking Katsuya's shoes off, tucking him under the bed sheets, and adjusting the pillow under his disheveled blond mane. Yuugi made sure to leave the glass of water on the nightstand by Katsuya's bedside, knowing the man would need to re-hydrate upon waking. 

Once he was sure that Katsuya was comfortable (and still alive), Yuugi gestured towards the hallway with a nod of his head, and Atem exited the room without a word. Yuugi followed him out and shut the door behind them quietly, though he doubted his friend would wake up to even a meteor strike in his current state. 

Back out in the hall, Yuugi turned to face Atem with a small scowl, the unhelpful bastard that he was. 

"We can't leave him like this," Yuugi told him, and though Atem wanted to disagree (more so out of habit, since it was Yuugi who was saying it), he didn't bother. He considered Katsuya a good friend, dare he say one of his closest. He didn't want to leave the man to choke on his own vomit. 

"Fine." Atem gestured towards the guest room further down the hall. "You can have the room. I'll take the couch."

Yuugi was surprised that Atem offered to take Katsuya's ten year-old barely standing sofa. He hadn't expected the older man to surrender the extra bed to him without a fight, though he reckoned that they were both too exhausted to argue, the time nearing 4:00AM now.

"Thanks," Yuugi muttered, and it was Atem's turn to look surprised. 

A momentarily silence ensued, and Atem took advantage of it, as it was easier to observe the other man when he wasn't busy running his mouth. 

Atem had never quite noticed before the subdued glow of Yuugi's blue eyes or how they seemed to darken to indigo under shitty lighting; had never noticed that Yuugi had a left dimple, but not a right; he had never picked up on how toned Yuugi's legs were underneath those skin-tight jeans - the other man must have been an avid runner with how thick his thighs seemed and how pronounced his calves were. 

It had seemed that, over the years, he had missed these intricate details of Yuugi's appearance, his intolerance for the younger man never allowing Atem the opportunity to really notice (or care) about such things. 

A thoughtful hum resonated from Atem's closed mouth. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Yuugi snapped.

Atem narrowed his eyes at him. "Like what?"

"Like..." Yuugi trailed off, not sure how to describe the liquid shine in Atem's eyes, as if they were blood diamonds being unearthed for the first time. It was a look that made Yuugi's insides shift, and he shivered. 

Atem picked up on the minute movement, standing as close as he was to Yuugi in the half-lit hallway. His thoughts were straying, his inhibitions laced with fine scotch. He couldn't help but wonder... 

Had Yuugi always been this... attractive?

Prior to this moment, Atem would've previously considered being in such close quarters with Yuugi his own personal hell, as unbearable as the other man could be at times (at all times, really). 

However, it wasn't as bad as he would've thought it to be. Yuugi was more... tolerable, he supposed, when the younger man's mouth was closed. 

An unbidden thought unfurled itself in his mind then, his eyes falling to Yuugi's lips. Perhaps there was a way to put that mouth to good use, if only just one.  

Yuugi's breath was nearly ripped from his lungs when Atem suddenly leveled him with a heated gaze. It was smothering almost, the way Atem looked at him, and Yuugi felt his throat itch with the need for air. He recovered quickly, inhaling a deep breath to replace the one Atem had so abruptly stolen from him. 

"What - ?" Yuugi stopped when Atem took a purposeful step towards him.

His body responded to the unexpected breach of his personal bubble, and Yuugi mimicked Atem's movement, taking a step back. His heel came into contact with the baseboard lining the hallway, and he found his back leveled against the wall. 

Yuugi felt his heart stammer in his chest, watching as Atem took another step towards him. With the distance between them practically non-existent now, Atem raised his forearms to rest on either side of Yuugi's head, the embers in Atem's heavy gaze sparking a wet match inside of Yuugi.

Yuugi wasn't sure what was happening. "What are you - ?"

"Shut up," Atem muttered, his voice hushed yet thick. 

The comment made Yuugi flare, his cheeks flushed from both indignation and lack of oxygen. "Excuse - ?"

Atem leaned his head in then, his lips hovering an inch from Yuugi's own. "I said, shut up," he said again. 

Yuugi wanted to be angry, wanted to be positively furious that Atem had the audacity to speak to him this way, the narcissistic prick.   

And yet, Yuugi couldn't sustain that anger, because despite the verbal slap and it's resulting bruise to his ego, all Yuugi could think of was how _hot_ it was that Atem was talking to him like this. Atem was rude and stuck-up as all hell, but Atem's insults were typically laced in his words, in his tone, even in his eyes; they were meant to be clever, not blunt. In fact, never in all their years of knowing each other, of arguing, had Atem told Yuugi so straight-forwardly to _shut up_. 

Yuugi couldn't quite grasp what was transpiring between them; he was trying to put the pieces together but everything was happening so fast, and it was hard to keep up. The last time he checked, Atem and he only barely tolerated each other. Certainly not enough to consider the other a friend, and _definitely_ not enough for Atem to be breathing his breath and making the air around them spark as if they were surrounded by live wires.  

It could've been the wine - it was almost certainly the wine - but for a moment, stuck between an immovable object and the corded muscles of Atem's chest and arms, Yuugi registered how awfully handsome the older man was. Even Atem's hair was a sight to behold, the natural strands of his mane the darkest shade of black with dyed golden curls hidden within, some too short to stay in place so they chose instead to fall over his forehead. The honey locks served as a barrier, casting a shadow over those eyes that glowed as though crafted by lava. Yuugi felt like he was being raked over hot coals with that gaze affixed to him.  

Atem was so close to him now that when the elder man exhaled a sigh, Yuugi was forced to blink a few times to protect his eyes from the soft breeze.   

Atem observed the action with sharp interest, watching carefully as those ebony lashes planted quick kisses against Yuugi's pale cheeks, hiding and revealing those pretty blue eyes in rapid succession. Atem shifted his weight when a deep-seated hunger settled in the pit of his stomach. He moved his right hand to slide it behind Yuugi's head and intertwine his fingers with the soft raven tresses they found there. 

Without provocation, Atem clenched his hand into a fist, straining the conditioned strands of hair attached to Yuugi's scalp.

Yuugi gasped, more from shock than anything else. He leaned his head back to seek relief from the pain, though the discomfort from his hair being pulled quickly vanished, his full attention now on the wet heat sliding up his exposed neck. Yuugi shuddered at the feeling of Atem's tongue on his skin, and a moan escaped his lips without his permission. 

The sound went directly to Atem's groin.

The older man continued his exploration of Yuugi's neck, dipping his tongue in a hollow curve above Yuugi's collarbone that elicited another whimper from the boy's mouth that was _finally_ doing something useful. 

Atem could feel the beat of Yuugi's heart against his lips, could taste the salt on his skin, could smell the other's body wash through his nose, a luxurious pomegranate scent.

The thick heat inside of him was building, and Atem was very aware of his quickly hardening erection.  

Leaving Yuugi's neck, Atem released his hold on Yuugi's hair and switched gears, using his newly freed hand to grab onto the boy's chin instead. Atem used the grip to tilt Yuugi's head to the side and press his lips against the arch of Yuugi's cheek, not affectionately, but rather because he wondered if the other's face was as soft as his neck. 

Yuugi promptly seized the hand holding his jaw with one of his own, his pleasure-filled haze momentarily lifting. 

Atem's eyes flashed at the interruption, but Yuugi didn't care, he was done with whatever - whatever _this was._

If Atem thought he could toy with him like this, the man had another thing coming.

"I don't know what the hell you're trying to do here, but - "

"Yuugi, for the last time, _shut the fuck up_ ," Atem breathed harshly, and then, finally, he crushed their lips together. 

Yuugi instinctively jerked forward, only for Atem to shove him back against the wall as punishment.

It was all it took for Yuugi to come undone. 

He moaned without care into Atem's mouth, and Atem swallowed the erotic sounds eagerly. The older man could feel his cock pulsating against Yuugi's thigh and craved more. He rocked his body forward, grinding his hips into Yuugi's, and the boy immediately broke their kiss to lean his head back against the wall with a sharp gasp. 

Atem had had enough.

He spun Yuugi around in his arms and pulled down at his pants until they fell around pale knees.

Yuugi could do little to stop the older man, a dark cloud of lust consuming any and all coherent thought. There was nothing that could've broken the spell Atem held over him in that moment. Yuugi was like putty in Atem's hands, pliable and conforming. He even raised his arms for Atem when he felt the other pulling at the hem of shirt and watched as the article of clothing was thrown carelessly on the hallway floor. Atem's shirt soon followed it. 

The was a strong forearm pressing against his back then, pinning him to the wall, the side of his face connecting with the cold surface. He felt Atem's other hand ghosting over his bare backside, long fingers running down his spine.

Yuugi arched into the touch involuntarily, curving his back. 

Atem, forever the opportunist, exploited the angle and pushed a barely damp finger inside of the quivering body in front of him. 

_"Ah!"_

Yuugi hadn't been expecting such a sudden intrusion, and he squeezed his eyes shut at the sharp pain that radiated up his spine. He raised his hands and pressed them against the wall, his fingers clenching, wishing so desperately for something to grab onto.

"What," Yuugi could barely get the words out, as lost for air that he was, "what are you doing?"

Atem responded by leaning his body forward, his chest coming flush against Yuugi's back, and the digit inside of him suddenly became two.

"Don't ask stupid questions," Atem hissed in his ear, his breath so hot it burned. The heat distracted Yuugi momentarily from the fingers roaming around inside of him as if searching for treasure. "If I'm lucky," Atem continued, his tongue sliding up Yuugi's ear lobe, "maybe, just maybe I'll fuck you so good, you forget how to talk, you insufferable minx."

That was certainly possible, given that Yuugi couldn't even find the words for a rebuttal, as focused as he was on Atem's fingers, and how cold he felt when they abandoned their search. 

They were soon replaced by Atem's cock, angled at his entrance, spreading his cheeks, and pushing up, inside, _inside..._

"Oh fucking  _god!"_

Yuugi's body reacted on its own, and he raised up on his toes to try to get away from the thick arousal forcing its way inside of him, past rings of muscles that weren't quite ready. The fit was so tight, Yuugi could feel Atem's cock throbbing inside of him, a dull pulse between his legs, and fucking christ, he was _enormous_. 

Atem wrapped both of his hands around Yuugi's waist then, his grip tight enough to be painful, in order to stop the boy's attempt at escape. A slew of curses and high-pitched whimpers tumbled from Yuugi's lips, as Atem continued to push further inside of him; the man wasn't stopping, wasn't giving him time to adjust, and it was as euphoric as it was painful. Yuugi's own cock pulsed, he was impossibly hard, his senses overwhelmed, and he nearly cried when Atem finally unsheathed his full sex inside of him. 

There was a growl at his ear then, that was the only warning he got, before Atem began plunging inside of him with enough force to make Yuugi's knees go weak. He wouldn't have been able to hold himself up if not for the wall that Atem was pushing him against with each upward thrust of the man's hips. It was torturous, the way Atem fucked him, never pulling out of him to give him even a moment's relief, but instead staying buried inside of him and hitting the same spot _over and over and over again._

Atem grunted, the muscles under his skin tense and the tendons in his neck visible from the strain. 

Yuugi felt so, so good, better than he would've imagined, and Atem tried to resist being too vocal, but the pleasure stirring within him was nearly too much. In lieu of a deep moan, Atem leaned down and placed his mouth over Yuugi's round shoulder, biting down hard enough to make Yuugi's breath hitch in pain, and oh my god, he was _delicious._  

Yuugi's moans came faster now, they were near constant, and Atem felt the muscles surrounding his dick clench around him the moment Yuugi climaxed, the smaller body trembling against his chest as the boy's cum streamed down his legs.

Yuugi could barely stand anymore, but that didn't seem to slow Atem down.  

The younger man heard a hiss and felt Atem's hands tighten around his hip bones, his thrusts increasing in speed, with more urgency. He fucked him for another five minutes, relishing in Yuugi's pained grunts as he took him raw, and then buried himself as deep as he could before Yuugi felt a liquid heat fill him.

Yuugi exhaled a small whimper when Atem finally slid out of him, those rough hands leaving his hips, and Yuugi could already feel the bruises forming. He lifted a hand to rub at his cheek, the skin there also sore from being pushed repeatedly against the wall. With slow movements, Yuugi turned himself around and was met with a rather stunning sight, for there was Atem, leaning back against the opposite wall, sweat pooling down his tawny neck and eyes closed in bliss. Atem's face had lost some of its rigidity, it looked softer now, and it was so... so...

"Sorry," Atem said flatly.  

...fucking  _what?_

"Excuse me?" Yuugi watched as Atem bent at the waist to retrieve the pants pooled at his ankles. Once Atem had returned to his full height, Yuugi noticed that the other was acting almost... _annoyed?_

Yuugi felt his defenses rise at the look Atem was sending his way. "Uhh, you just threw me against the wall in our friend's apartment, _fucked_ me without any kind of warning, and all you have to say is...  _sorry?"_

Atem grunted, wishing he could take a shower rather than engage in what he figured was going to be a pointless conversation, but if the past was anything to go by, then he knew he wasn't getting out of the brewing confrontation. "What else would you like me to say?" Atem said, turning down the hall and retreating into the living room. To his dismay (though not surprise), Yuugi pursued him after the younger man had raised his pants and boxers back up to his waist. 

"Um, maybe some sort of explanation?" Yuugi offered, his cheeks flushed for completely different reasons now. They were facing each other again, standing tall at opposite sides of the living room.  "I mean why would you... I don't get it, you don't even _like_ me."

Atem resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I wanted sex. You seemed like you wanted it, too. That's all there was to it. It was just sex." Mind-blowing sex, Atem granted, but still sex nonetheless.

Yuugi bristled. "So, that's it, huh? You were horny, and I was the closest thing within reach."

"Don't insult me," Atem snapped back at him, his jaw tensing. "I don't just go around fucking anyone with a pulse." 

Yuugi raised an eyebrow, questioning him, and Atem felt a burst of irritation. "Look, I had one too many drinks tonight, and you weren't being as obnoxious as usual," Atem explained. "There was a brief moment of sexual attraction back there in the hall, and I suppose I just needed to get it out of my system."

"Hnn." Yuugi sneered. "Sure. So glad I could be of assistance."

Yuugi was so angry, he could hit him, but instead he stormed out of the living area and back down the hall towards the guest room. He tried to resist the urge to slam the door behind him, tried really fucking hard, but he couldn't help it, and the force he put behind the action echoed throughout the entire apartment. If Katsuya wasn't absolutely dead to the world, Yuugi would've felt really bad. 

Once inside the room, Yuugi found himself glaring at the door he had just slammed shut, his blood boiling under his skin. The nerve of that raging asshole, that handsome, selfish, stupid man who just essentially hate-fucked him into oblivion. 

No, no, fuck this.

He wasn't going to be used like that, and he certainly wasn't going to let Atem get away with treating him like some disposable blow-up doll without so much as a verbal lashing, that was for damn sure. 

Yuugi swung the bedroom door back open and stalked into the living room, where a still shirtless Atem was seated on the couch, the older man mid-fucking-eye roll.

 _"What?"_ Atem intoned.

Yuugi tensed at the edge in Atem's voice, his features darkening. He only stopped his forward march when he reached the couch, leveling Atem with a contemptuous glare. 

Atem matched it, and Yuugi decided to get right to the point.

"Fuck you, Atem," Yuugi spat. "You can't just... you can't - "

"What?" Atem was on his feet in a moment, towering over Yuugi, suddenly in the boy's atmosphere again. "I can't _what?"_

Atem's tone was as sharp as ice, and yet his eyes were fire, burning him all over, and suddenly Yuugi wanted to feel flames on his skin again where Atem touched him. His already loosely woven composure unraveled for the second time that night.

It was Yuugi now that pushed at Atem, knocking the man back down onto the couch with a forceful shove at his broad shoulders. 

Atem opened his mouth, outraged, but Yuugi's tongue was already slipping in between his lips and silencing his protest.

Yuugi straddled him, thighs encasing the older man's legs, his palms pressed against Atem's cheeks as Yuugi ravished his mouth.

Atem hesitated for only a moment.

His hands didn't take long to find their place, at Yuugi's already swollen hips, and he used the leverage to rock Yuugi back and forth, over his crotch and subsequent returning erection. Pants were more difficult to remove this time around in this new position, Yuugi had to physically leave Atem's lap to take them off, and Atem was not happy about the momentary separation. 

Vocalizing his impatience, Atem yanked Yuugi back onto his lap the moment the boy was naked again, and Yuugi soon found himself moaning into Atem's open-mouth kisses, the man's cock sliding back inside of him as Yuugi slowly lowered himself down to meet Atem halfway. 

This new position allowed for so many more angles to be explored, and they tried them all with a hunger that seemed unable to be sated.

Yuugi could touch himself this time around, but he didn't need to, because as soon as he reached for his own erection, Atem's hand was already around it, a rough palm sliding down his cock and squeezing. Yuugi jerked into the hold with a fervent need for Atem to touch every part of him. The sensations were all so intense, he was just so hot, they might as well have been fucking on the sun, and Yuugi felt himself approaching the edge much quicker this time. 

Yuugi opened his eyes when he felt Atem's fingers at his jaw, holding onto his chin. He met Atem's dark gaze and, when the man spoke next, his thick voice rolled languidly down Yuugi's spine.  

"Have you ever had a real man in between your legs like this?" Atem breathed hotly against Yuugi's mouth. "Fucking you like you deserve to be fucked?"

The way Atem talked to him, _oh my god,_ the pure filth made him crumble, and Yuugi saw stars as he came hard into the space between their bellies. He all but collapsed on top of Atem, his breath catching in his throat when he felt that wet heat being released inside of him, Atem reaching his climax only moments after him. 

They didn't part as quickly this time, sweat and a host of other fluids making their bodies slick against the other.

It was Yuugi who was the first to move, lifting himself off of Atem's lap and practically stumbling to his feet. 

Atem followed him with half-lidded eyes. "I need to sleep," the man said, and he was almost snoring by the time the words left his mouth.

Yuugi didn't argue with him this time. He just grabbed his clothes from the floor and walked until he was back in the guest room, falling onto the bed with an ungraceful 'thump'. 

He was filthy and desperately in need of a bath, but it was five in the morning, and he was too sore, too spent, to deal with it tonight. 

Yuugi turned his face into the pillow under his head and cursed, loudly and more than once, into the soft cushion.

If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that Katsuya wasn't the only one who was going to be waking up with regrets. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that was just the intro. ;)
> 
> drop me a line in the comment section with your thoughts or feedback! 
> 
> you can also follow me at hikariandyamiblog on tumblr for sneak previews and extra info on my fics. 
> 
> much love!


	2. Kiss Me Once

When Yuugi woke up a few hours later, both lethargic and dehydrated, Atem was already gone, and Katsuya was sitting at the small, circular table in his living room, staring down a bottle of ibuprofen.  

Yuugi joined Katsuya shortly after waking, his hair damp from a much needed shower, and a warm cup of tea nestled in between his palms. He had offered some to Katsuya, but the other man's stomach could only handle ibuprofen and water at the moment. Running on only four hours of sleep, Yuugi was dreadfully exhausted, from the roots of his hair to his very tender backside. His mind was a muddled mess of questions and regret, accompanied by an occasional dull pang from a headache. Still, he seemed to be in better shape than his blond companion.

Yuugi glanced up at Katsuya, who was currently hunched over in the adjacent chair, hands holding tightly onto his knees, as he took in steady breaths. 

"Is there anything else I can get you?" Yuugi asked him. 

Katsuya's shoulders lifted with a deep inhale through his nose. "If you have a time machine, that'd be nice," the blond said. "Other than that, nah. I need - ," Katsuya paused, his lips twisting into a grimace for a few seconds, before continuing, "I need to lie back down." Amber eyes lifted from the floor to meet Yuugi's concerned gaze. "Thanks for lookin' out last night. It was nice of you and Atem to bring me home, despite you guys, y'know, wantin' to kill each other and all." Katsuya chuckled then, though it looked like the action pained him. 

Yuugi shrugged loosely, averting his gaze. "We wouldn't just leave you like that," he replied. 

"Well, did you guys at least get a chance to bond at all? You know, bury the hatchet?"

Yuugi's lips fell into a tight line. "No," he answered. "We were pretty focused on you the whole time."

"Mm. Well, I still have hope that you guys will be friends one day. Still don't get why you guys hate each other so much." Katsuya pursed his lips. "Who knows, maybe ya'll just need to bang it out or somethin'."

Yuugi stiffened in his seat, the sudden tension in his frame causing a tiny spark of pain to run up his spine, as if to serve as a reminder of the previous night's activities. "Oh, no, that would be dumb," Yuugi said flatly, his gaze narrowing on the cup of tea in between his hands. "It would be really, really stupid of me to do something like that. So stupid."

Katsuya nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right," he said, then he, thankfully, changed the subject. "I really gotta go lay down though," he added, standing a bit shakily to his feet. He closed his eyes, steeling himself. "You gonna stick around?" he asked. 

Yuugi shook his head and followed his friend's lead, rising from his chair. "No, I gotta head home. You sure you're okay?" he implored. 

Katsuya flashed him a tight smile. "I will be," he assured him. "See ya at Anzu's Christmas party in two weeks, yeah?"

Yuugi blinked at that. "Oh, wow, I didn't realize that was coming up so soon already..." Yuugi shifted his weight, suddenly uncomfortable again, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Uhh, do you know if Atem is go - ?"

"Knock it off," Katsuya scolded him, though not harshly. "Ya'll need to stop goin' out of your way to avoid each other. Anzu will be devastated if you flake." Katsuya raised a single eyebrow at his smaller friend. "And besides, didn't you hear?"

Yuugi tilted his head, confused.

Katsuya sighed when it became apparent that he'd have to be the bearer of bad news. "It's at Atem's house this year," he said. 

* * *

_Of course it was._

"Yeah, a pipe broke in my basement," Anzu was explaining to Yuugi two weeks later at her annual holiday party (that Atem was _gracious_ enough to let her host at his house).

Her short auburn hair was pulled back in a small bun, runaway strands falling to frame her sweetheart face and fetching blue eyes. Yuugi found it hard to be annoyed with his childhood friend when she was the image of all that was kind and sweet in this world.  

"It took a bit of begging, possibly a bit of bribing, but Atem eventually agreed to let me host it here. I'm sorry, I know this isn't exactly the ideal situation for you." She tilted her lips, her apology genuine. "But who knows? Maybe this will be the perfect excuse to put aside your differences. It's the holiday season, after all!"

_Oh, you sweet, naive unicorn._

Yuugi sighed.

He had to admit though, if anyone could bring two people together, it would be Anzu. She had a knack for being able to turn two absolute strangers into the best of friends in record timing. 

"It's okay, Anzu, don't worry about me," Yuugi insisted, smiling at her in her festive red and green outfit. "I promise I'll be on my best behavior tonight."

Yuugi wasn't one to break promises often, but it also didn't surprise him much that if he was going to break one that it would be partly Atem's fault. 

He had been able to avoid Atem completely for the first hour following his fashionably late arrival, which was impressive given that he was actually in the older man's home.

His luck inevitably ran it's course though, and eventually, standing on opposite sides of the expansive living room, Yuugi caught Atem's eyes.

Yuugi felt his body react despite his mind's insistence not to, but it seemed almost impossible now not to notice the more appealing qualities of Atem's physique. Prior to their night together, Yuugi had honestly never found himself impressed by Atem's appearance, perhaps so put off by the other's personality that he hadn't allowed for any sort of attraction to exist in between them. It was a simpler time, Yuugi mused, for it seemed that the flood gates had officially been opened, and now all Yuugi could think about was how Atem's skin reminded him of island sands and his eyes of exotic flowers. Suddenly, he could remember the way Atem tasted on his tongue, and the way the man's lips felt on his neck. 

Yuugi looked away, ashamed at his thoughts, and submerged himself deep into conversation, focusing fully on trivial small talk to distract himself from thoughts he'd rather not be having. 

He hadn't seen some of these friends since the last annual Christmas party - many were old high school friends, others acquaintances by association - and he'd be damned if he didn't enjoy himself. 

One such person, Kisara, found her way to him with a giant hug and a smile on her face that lit up the room. She was a beautiful woman with platinum hair, a round face, and a personality bubblier than actual bubbles. She was dressed for the occasion in an 'ugly Christmas sweater', similar to Yuugi's own. Once pleasantries were exchanged, the two quickly found themselves in a conversation about music, as Kisara herself had picked up the violin six months ago. She told Yuugi about the video tutorials she had been studying, and Yuugi listened intently, though with a tiny amused smile on his face. Kisara had a tendency to adopt new hobbies every year (and made a point to tell everyone of these new interests at these sort of gatherings), but she had established a bit of a pattern over the years, in that once these hobbies became too difficult or too tedious, she typically moved on to the next thing. There was nothing inherently wrong with this, of course - it was more of a quirk that Yuugi and the others had grown accustomed to over the past half a decade. 

"You missed it!" Kisara was saying. "I actually brought my violin and played for everyone earlier!"

"Oh, sorry about that, you know me when it comes to being punctual," Yuugi commented, tossing one hand in the air, a sort of ' _what are you gonna do, I'm hopeless'_ gesture. "I'm sure you sounded great though!" he added enthusiastically. 

Kisara blushed at the compliment. "Well, I don't know about all that. Oh, you know what, Atem - " She reached out towards the man walking past them, Atem stopping abruptly at the sound of his name. Yuugi stilled himself when the man he was (not-so) subtly trying to avoid all evening somehow became the third member of their conversation. "Atem heard me play earlier," Kisara continued, oblivious. "What did you think?"

Atem didn't acknowledge Yuugi, not even with a glance. Instead, he angled himself towards Kisara, dressed in a (not festive) ivory button-up shirt and simple pair of jeans. "You certainly need additional practice," Atem answered her after a moment. "The violin is a complex instrument. You will have to be willing to dedicate more time to it if you wish to master it."

Kisara deflated a bit, and Yuugi felt a burst of heat fill him at her disheartened expression. "Yeah, I guess I need to put more time into it," she acquiesced. "You used to play, right? Maybe you could give me some pointers later?"

"Of course," Atem said with a small smile.  

Kisara returned his smile, and then, with a polite nod, she excused herself from the duo.  

The second she was out of ear-shot, Yuugi rounded on Atem. 

"Would it actually kill you to show some kindness for once in your life?" Yuugi asked him. "I'm genuinely curious if you would die from the attempt."

Atem cut his eyes to Yuugi. "She asked for an honest opinion. Would you have preferred I lied to her?"

"So, you're not an asshole, you're just being honest, is that it? You realize the two aren't mutually exclusive, right? You could've given an honest opinion without being a jerk about it."

"I don't sugar-coat things, and Kisara knows that. More importantly, I don't recall her asking you to come to her defense. If she had an issue with how I phrased my feedback, she could've brought that to my attention herself. Perhaps you could find something more constructive to do with your time than playing hero?"

"Oh, you can take your ego and shove it - "

_"Guys."_

Katsuya's quiet voice was a warning shot in their ears, the blond man approaching them with his amber eyes already narrowed in a glare. "If your pissin' contest ruins Anzu's party, so help me God..."

Yuugi audibly huffed, his cheeks rounding, as he glanced from Katsuya back to Atem.

He stormed off without another word to either of them.

Katsuya turned his full attention to Atem then. The blond looked like he wanted to pull at his hair, but refrained. "I don't understand what the issue is here, but if I don't see you two smilin' like it's rainin' fuckin' gold outside in the next ten minutes, then I'm takin' you both outside for a beatin'. Got it?"  

* * *

Atem was entirely annoyed now.

He had agreed to host this party as a favor to Anzu, but at no point did he agree to tolerate a combative little man telling him how to converse with his own friends in his own damn home.

Upon first meeting Yuugi's eyes this evening, Atem had felt a touch of heat a bit south of his belly. His memory, though hazy and weighed down by sleep and whiskey, resurfaced with a vengeance the moment their gazes locked. In particular, he remembered, with striking clarity, Yuugi's flushed skin and the baby blues of his eyes, clouded over in ecstasy. It was an image he had spent most of the night trying to shake. 

It was almost a blessing, he supposed, that he was forced to engage with Yuugi again, for the image shattered the moment the younger man opened his mouth, and Atem was reminded of why he kept his distance in the first place. 

It was nearing ten o'clock when he was finally able to slip away from co-host duties long enough to use the bathroom and maybe take a fifteen minute breather in his room. Anzu shooed him away when he asked her if there was anything else - food, drink, or entertainment-wise - that he could do to help, and promised him that she'd _'hold down the fort'_ so that he could take a small break. She knew how crowds for long periods of time wore on his introverted soul, and Atem thanked her for it. 

Making his way past the living room and down the adjoining hall that led to his bedroom and the guest bathroom, he found himself across from Yuugi, who was just then exiting the restroom. 

The younger man shot him a little glare, but said nothing as he headed back down the hall, past Atem, and towards the living room.

Atem had planned to disregard him, but the moment the boy was within arm's reach, Atem had a near visceral reaction to put Yuugi in his place - and that just so happened to be underneath him.

Yuugi opened his mouth, his body rigid, ready to retaliate, when Atem pushed him passed the threshold of his bedroom. Before he could get out anything more than an indignant _'hey!'_ , Atem grabbed his cheeks with one hand, hard enough to force Yuugi's lips to purse.  

"I am sick to death of you," Atem snapped at him. "I've seen more of you these past three weeks than in the past year, and I've had just about enough of your childish tantrums."

Yuugi smacked Atem's hand away, glaring up at Atem as he rubbed at his cheeks. "Don't touch me," Yuugi bristled. "And trust me, this is no picnic for me either. You think this is fun for me?" he inquired. "You honestly think I'm enjoying being around your entitled ass this much?"

Atem tsked. "You certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself the last time we crossed paths," he countered. 

Yuugi flushed. Fuck Atem for throwing that in his face. "Hardly," he said evenly. 

"The moans you were making that night tell me otherwise," Atem said, lifting his chin, challenging Yuugi. 

Yuugi resisted stomping his foot, but just barely. No one could rile him up like Atem could. "I didn't come here to stroke your ego, you raging narcissist," Yuugi spat. "So, if we're done here - "

"Do you think if I fuck you again that you won't be so insufferable for the rest of the night?"

"What - ?"

Yuugi has promised himself, had sworn to every deity that if Atem had ever tried to seduce him again, he'd refuse.

But it was a lot harder to resist Atem when the man's tongue was in his mouth. 

Yuugi put his hands on Atem's shoulders, but hesitated, not knowing if he wanted to push the man away and pull him closer. Atem took the choice from him before he could decide, pushing him onto his bed and following him down. Atem's bed was softer than Yuugi would've imagined. He would've thought the older man would have needed a firm mattress, a slab of concrete, perhaps, to keep that posture of his so rigid. 

Atem's hands were warm on his skin, the man's fingers like flames against his stomach, and it was so oddly familiar, the way Atem's skin felt on his, the way the man fit in between his legs.

Yuugi had reasoned with himself many nights prior, had argued that it was the alcohol or maybe the cold that had made him fall into Atem's arms two weeks ago. 

But here he was doing it again, a willing participant, maybe even an _eager_ participant with the speed of which he had pulled Atem's shirt off. 

Atem was already sinking inside of him, their clothes scattered on the bedroom floor, and Yuugi had to bite his lip to soften the moans rolling up his throat. Atem re-positioned himself on his knees, leaning back onto his heels, and raising Yuugi's hips onto his thighs. It was an angle that allowed Atem to fuck Yuugi thoroughly, to ease his cock, pulsing, leaking, deep inside of the smaller body. 

Even through closed lips, a waterfall of moans escaped Yuugi's mouth, his entire frame shaking from trying to restrain himself, from the oppressive waves of pleasure flowing and ebbing inside of him.

Atem hunched over him, forearms coming to rest on either side of the boy's head, wanting to hear his stifled groans, to bask in his subdued whimpers. His scarlet eyes were piercing, gazing into Yuugi's. "You like this, don't you?" Atem asked him, a husk to his voice, his breath heating Yuugi's cheeks. "You like when I'm inside of you? When I fuck you?"

Yuugi's eyes rolled. There was something different about Atem when they fucked. Atem, a man who was composed, both in his words and his stance. The elder man rarely swore and never shouted; he had this aloof facade, almost robotic in nature, and he seemed disinterested in most things. But when he fucked him, the way he talked to Yuugi, with a heated edge in his voice, and a fire in his eyes - it was so unlike him, and it was a switch in demeanor that drove Yuugi crazy.

"Tell me," Atem punctuated his words with a thrust, burying himself inside Yuugi.  "Tell me that you like this."

"Ah, hnn... I - I like it."

"You like what?"

"When you -  _ahh! -_  fuck me."

"Hm," Atem's hum vibrated in his chest, his own version of a quieted moan. "You feel _incredible_. It's like your thighs were meant to spread like this for me."

"Oh  _God,_ please... _please_." Yuugi didn't know what he was begging for, relief probably, or maybe for Atem to keep talking to him like that, dirty and in a voice that was meant for kings. 

It didn't seem to matter though, for Yuugi was already cumming before Atem could open his mouth to speak again. 

Atem wasn't far behind him. 

Muscles tensed, grunts and moans muffled into sloppy kisses, and they rode their orgasms out with hitched breaths, nails dragging across each other's skin. 

Atem's forearms were still resting by Yuugi's head when they both resurfaced from their sex-filled hazes. 

One arm suddenly lifting, Yuugi found himself surprised when Atem ran his hand through his hair, brushing Yuugi's sweaty bangs aside and kissing him roughly. 

It wasn't the harshness of the kiss that threw Yuugi off, not the intense pressure of it, but rather the fact that Atem had kissed him at all. With the deed already done, a kiss now seemed unnecessary.

Yuugi had no time to question the action any further, for Atem was already standing from the bed and putting his clothes back on, sliding his palm over the few wrinkled spots to smooth the lines out. Atem's gaze fixed on a small mirror on his wall, and he lifted his hand to brush at his own hair, patting strands back into place. 

"Make yourself decent," Atem directed at him, his eyes still on the mirror. "No reason to invite any unnecessary questions."

Yuugi would've agreed with that sentiment if Atem hadn't already left the room.

Yuugi wasn't offended at Atem's renewed coldness toward him, simply because he didn't have time to be. He had been absent from the party for twenty minutes now, and he certainly didn't want to have to explain his whereabouts to any curious friends. Cleaning himself up and re-dressing, he gave himself a once-over in the mirror, and proceeded to slip out of Atem's bedroom unseen. He re-joined his merry group of friends, thankful for the jovial conversation and holiday music that held much of his friends' attention. He wiggled himself into a small group by the food table and fell into the easy conversation. He didn't intend to look for Atem, had actually planned on going back to purposely avoiding the older man for the remainder of the party, and yet somehow his eyes found him, conversing with Kisara by the kitchen. 

They looked to be in good spirits - Kisara smiling wide, and Atem perched against the threshold with a lazy grin. 

Atem glanced in his direction, and their eyes met. 

They both returned to their respective conversations a moment later.

No one was the wiser. 


	3. Nothing's Impossible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh look, more banging.

Atem did not struggle in the romantic department - at least, not when it came to sex. 

The deeper intricacies of a relationship, the intimacy and attachment aspect of it, sure, one could certainly argue (and a number of his ex's would) that he was distant in that regard; emotionally unavailable even.

But sex was one of his strongest areas of expertise, and he certainly didn't have to settle on just any bed companion. He had his options. 

And yet, to his utter dismay, he had spent the last twelve days wound tighter than a coil, so sensitive to the touch that he was in danger of a light breeze bringing him to climax. 

He could've sought relief elsewhere. He had a list of numbers he could've dialed to satiate his needs.

He knew this, but being armed with this knowledge provided him little comfort and absolutely no relief, given that the only touch he wanted was Yuugi's.   

He couldn't help it. There was just something so enticing, so _irresistible_ about fucking that defiant little bastard into submission. When Yuugi arched underneath him, he was no longer the abrasive, argumentative man that Atem had grown to dislike over years of sour interactions, but instead he was a man that was pliable, that was soft under Atem's hands, yielding to Atem's touch, to his desires.

When he was inside of Yuugi, the boy acquiesced to him entirely, submitting to him. He was like a fox that suddenly had the potential to be tamed, and Atem wanted nothing more than the opportunity to force Yuugi back into that docile state again. 

So, when Katsuya asked him to come out and celebrate a mutual friend's recent promotion a couple days after New Years, Atem accepted the invitation readily - quicker than Katsuya must've expected given the blond man's momentary pause on the phone.

That night, Atem met them out at the designated location, a dive bar ten minutes south of his place, dressed in pair of dark jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt.

Katsuya, along with Honda, the man of the hour, spotted him first from across the bar and waved him over with a chorus of shouts and laughter. It was apparent to Atem that both men were a few beers in already. Sitting across from the loud duo was Ryou, a newer addition to their group, having been introduced only recently, after he had acquired a job beside Honda at a small start-up company. Ryou was a soft-spoken man, kind but with a fierce perception about him; one of those _'wise beyond their years'_  characters. Of note, the man also had a unique condition, rendering his hair without pigment, causing his mane to be a near snow-white. It was quite the stark contrast next to his coffee-brown eyes, but he wore it well.

Atem exchanged obligatory greetings and pulled out a seat next to Ryou at the high-top table after ordering a red ale from the bar. Honda was in the middle of talking about the extra perks that came along with his promotion, a toothy smile on his face. Atem had met Honda through Katsuya about three years prior and, though a bit rowdy at times, Atem liked the other man well enough. He was a stocky, dark-haired fellow with a talent for dramatic story-telling and gesturing, and Atem followed the conversation with amused eyes, only partly distracted. 

Atem had never actually inquired as to whether Yuugi would be attending this small celebration. He certainly could've, but after two years of asking the question with the intention of avoiding Yuugi, it felt weird to ask now with the infinitesimal hope that the boy would actually be around. 

After another twenty minutes elapsed, Yuugi's appearance seeming increasingly unlikely, Atem told himself that it was probably a good thing that he wasn't coming, the thought of having to engage (and most likely argue) with the hot-tempered man causing a rush of dread to bloom in his chest. Atem guessed that the only silver lining if Yuugi did show at this point would be that Atem would have something pretty to look at.

That thought was solidified the moment he glanced away from his small group, just in time to see Yuugi weaving through the crowd, dressed in simple jeans and a dark blue shirt that brought out his eyes.

"Hey guys!" Yuugi greeted over the crowd, making his presence known to the group.

"Heya Yuug'!" Honda shouted, standing. He opened his arms and embraced his shorter friend, offering Yuugi a firm pat on the back. "Nice to see ya man, thanks for coming out!"

"Are you kidding, I wouldn't miss this," Yuugi replied, genuine. "I know how hard you've been working lately, and I'm so proud of you!"

Honda scratched his cheek, suddenly bashful. "Aw man, thanks." He gestured to the man across from him. "You remember Ryou?" he asked. 

"Of course!" Yuugi grinned at the doe-eyed man. "How have you been?"

"Oh, you know, still trying to get accustomed to everything," Ryou answered, his words softly accented, a nod to his birthplace in the U.K. "But I'm enjoying the work, and Honda's been nice enough to show me the ropes."

"You know it!" Honda chirped with a raise of his beer. 

The polite conversation continued, Atem watching the exchange silently, as he did the math in his head on how long it would take to wrap up this celebration, if only so that he could get Yuugi out of his clothes and back into his lap. 

 

* * *

 

Yuugi sat at the high-top table next to Katsuya, across from Atem, and tried to act normal, despite his mind being in the gutter - _hell,_ it practically lived there now.

And the way Atem was looking at him, like he wanted to devour him whole, certainly wasn't helping reign in his imagination of all the filthy things that they could be doing to each other right now. 

Atem was a dark vision tonight, all bronze skin and wild hair, and Yuugi had an urge to pull him across the table by the scruff of his shirt and kiss that smug smirk right off his stupid, handsome face. 

Yuugi averted his gaze towards his other friends, absentmindedly adding to their conversation with a smile on his face, his thoughts scattered.

He had spent the past two weeks in bi-polar hell. Every morning, he'd swear an oath that he'd never let Atem put him in a compromising position (on his back) again, and then by the next hour, all he could think about was storming Atem's house and pushing him up against the wall with full kisses, so that his tongue could come out to play.   

Atem was a selfish, careless man, Yuugi knew. His other friends dismissed the older man's behavior with phrases such as _'well, he's just being honest'_ and _'oh well, you know Atem, he tells it how it is'_.

In Yuugi's eyes though, these were pitiful excuses to justify Atem's behavior.

The man was stubborn and prideful, he rarely apologized, and the words he wielded had caused hurt feelings in the past. It wasn't okay.   

And yet, for some reason, these negative traits of Atem's mattered little to Yuugi when the other man was spreading his legs wide and filling him so completely.

Being a good lay shouldn't _(and didn't)_ excuse all of Atem's horrid behaviors, Yuugi knew that, and he was resolved to remember it... but then his mind would wander, and he would think of the way Atem's lips felt on his, and he would suddenly be back at square one, entirely confused at how they found themselves in this predicament in the first place. 

And here it was happening again, Atem sitting across from him with dark eyes, the sinful secret they shared making the air around Yuugi thick, his breaths heavier in his lungs and, despite all of his reservations (and there were so very many) that he had towards the other man, all Yuugi wanted in that moment was to feel Atem's hands on his hips again, guiding him to paradise.

"Where does it end though?" Honda's voice pierced through Yuugi's thoughts, dragged him back to the present conversation. "Like, plants, right - they respond to stimuli, so like... why is it okay to eat plants but not okay to eat animals?"

Atem's arms were crossed over his chest, an eyebrow raised. Ryou, the classic observer, remained quiet. 

"You are equating plant life to animal life," Atem said, flatly. This wasn't the first time he had had to defend his dietary choices against the two men across from him. "So, by your logic, if I am driving, and your dog runs out into the middle of the road, I should not swerve into your lawn to avoid the animal, lest I kill an entire family of grass? Is that what you're saying?"

"Well, I mean, no. But - !"

"Okay, how about this," Katsuya jumped in, an omnivore to his core. "What if you were stranded on a desert island with only a chicken? What would you do?"

"Probably have a more intelligent conversation than I'm having right now."

Yuugi snorted, trying to hide his laughter at Atem's blunt response, but failing miserably. He placed a hand over his mouth and chuckled into his palm. 

All eyes turned towards him. 

"Hey!" Katsuya pouted in offense, bumping Yuugi lightly in the ribs with an elbow. "Who's side are you on man?"

"I'm not on anyone's side," Yuugi responded, still smiling. He gazed up at his blond friend. "But while we're on the subject, plants don't have brains or central nervous systems. So, even though studies have shown that they do react to stimuli, like Honda pointed out, they don't have nociceptors, which are the specific receptors programmed to respond to pain."

Katsuya rolled his eyes, bumping him again. "Yeah, well, if you love plants so much, why don't you just marry them," he mumbled and soon, most everyone at the table was breaking out into fits of laughter.

The exception here being Atem, who Yuugi noticed was watching him more intensely before, a hint of surprise in his eyes. Yuugi felt a flush of offense at that - why should Atem be surprised that he was educated in this subject? Did he think Yuugi was ignorant and uninformed? That he just played video games all day and twiddled his thumbs in his leisure time?

Yuugi asked Atem as much when the older man followed him to the bar to get another round of drinks for the table. 

"Oh, don't be so sensitive," Atem lightly admonished. "I just was caught off-guard that you knew so much on the subject, that's all. I've thought you to be many things over the years, Yuugi, but unintelligent has never been one of them."

Yuugi decided to take that as a compliment, back-handed as it was. He took a sip of his drink, as he waited for the bartender to pour the rest of the beers. Another moment passed, and he glanced over at Atem out of the corner of his eye, the burgundy gaze already waiting for him. 

"What do you want, Atem?" Yuugi asked, a brow lifting, questioning the other's motives. He didn't actually believe that Atem had come to the bar solely to help him carry the five drinks back to the table. 

"Nothing," Atem responded quickly, before amending his answer. "Well, one thing."

Yuugi's brow raised higher, disappearing under his bangs. "I thought you were tired of seeing me around?" he prompted. 

Atem shrugged. "Turns out your tolerable in small doses," he granted. 

"Stop it, you're making me blush."

"I can do more than that."

"You think so?"

Atem was struck with the urge to bend Yuugi over the bar, but the public setting kept him from doing so. There was a heat again, simmering in Atem's groin, a growing desire to dominate the man who, under normal circumstances, refused to be dominated. 

He ducked his head to whisper in Yuugi's ear. "You know, with how much nonsense you speak, I'm surprised your mouth isn't tired," he muttered. "I can help wear it out for you if you'd like."

Yuugi felt his cock stir, a pulse against his thigh. He could feel Atem's breath on his neck, by his ear, and his skin pricked. Yuugi lowered his head, tilting his chin in a way that brought Atem's lips to hover by his cheek. Suddenly their breaths were sharing the same air. "You would be so lucky," Yuugi said, just as the rest of the beers arrived. 

Breaking the moment, Yuugi turned away from Atem and reached for the frosty pint glasses. He carried three to the table and distributed them with a shaky smile, Atem arriving shortly after with the last two. 

Yuugi settled back into his chair, ignored the heavy heat weighing in between him and the man seated across from him, and jumped back into conversation with his friends.

But still, he could feel it. 

The unspoken promise of more to come. 

 

* * *

 

The moment their three other companions had walked off in the direction of their bus stop, opposite the way of where Yuugi and he lived, Atem opened the rear side door of his sleek BMW, slid in, and pulled Yuugi on top of him. 

They fucked in the backseat of his car, in the near empty parking lot of the bar, the leather seats sticking to their skin, as Yuugi rocked into him, lips on his own, searching, exploring. Atem buried a hand into Yuugi's silky hair and used the leverage to further deepen the kiss. He wanted to feel Yuugi's moans vibrate against his mouth, wanted to rip the air from his very lungs as he moved his hips up to meet Yuugi whenever the boy rose from his lap, seeking a moment's relief. Atem wouldn't give it to him.  

It was a quick fuck. It had felt like ages since the last time they were intertwined like this, and they were both teetering on the edge from the moment Yuugi first sunk down on to Atem's cock. 

It was certainly not long enough to scratch Atem's itch, but it was enough to get them back to his house. 

"What are we doing?" Yuugi asked him a few minutes into their commute, music playing softly from the car radio. 

Atem didn't look at him. "Driving," he said. 

Yuugi's own gaze was directed at the windshield, looking out into the darkness and watching as the passing street lights lit up the road in front of them. "Don't be obtuse," he warned. 

"Why do we need to label it?" Atem asked, annoyed. "Why can't we just be two people who occasionally have sex? Like a friends-with-benefits sort of situation."

Yuugi pursed his lips, finally turning in his seat to look at Atem. "That would make sense if we were actually friends. But we're not. You see why I'm confused here?"

Atem craved a cigarette in that moment, but he had quit that nasty habit of his years ago. 

Yuugi made him want to smoke though. 

Talking to him, fucking him, even just looking at him.

"Alright, look." Atem was pulling into his driveway then, his eyes a dark crimson. He put the car in park and turned to face Yuugi. "We've tried to be friends in the past. It's never worked out. We just don't mesh well."

"And you don't think that's odd? That we could barely even be in the same room together for years and now - ," Yuugi paused, then reached towards Atem, touching his jaw. He traced the tips of his fingers from his chin down to his neck, and he felt Atem tense under his touch. "There's this... chemistry here all of the sudden. It doesn't make any sense. I don't understand it."

"You don't need to," Atem told him. "We can just enjoy it, until we don't anymore. Then, we can part ways again." Atem grabbed Yuugi's hand with his own, lifting it from his neck, and turned it over so that he could press his lips against the soft, pale skin of his wrist.

Yuugi felt his eyes close on their own, a languid heat rolling down his spine, his heartbeat quickening. Despite Atem's words, this all still seemed like a really bad idea. 

He tried to relay that message to his mouth, to say something to stop what was happening; to put up some amount of resistance.

But there seemed to be a disconnect between his brain and his libido and, before he knew what hit him, he was back in Atem's bed, the man's strong hands flush against his naked body, one at his hip, the other on his inner thigh, holding it down, as Atem pushed inside of him. 

A sudden ache pooling at the base of his spine, Yuugi's back lifted off the bed with a sharp intake a breath. Atem's grip tightened on his trembling body, holding him still, as he unsheathed himself completely inside of him, a deep groan escaping into the space in between them. The previously quiet bedroom was quickly filling with the sounds of their bodies, slick and heated, moving against each other; with the sounds of their curses and grunts, as Yuugi lifted his hips to meet Atem's thrusts. When he felt his climax rapidly approaching, Yuugi gripped his own cock, ran his fingers over it, and shuddered when Atem angled inside of him just right. Yuugi lost control of his vocal cords the moment his orgasm hit him, and the broken moans were like an aphrodisiac to Atem, pulling him down into the pits of pleasure. He came inside of Yuugi, his muscles tensing, flexing under his skin, and it felt as incredible as the first three times.

Their heavy pants were the only sound in the room now, the sheets damp and their hair tangled messes. Yuugi winced when Atem slid out of him and closed his legs, a dull pain at his hips and backside.   

This was the first time that they were actually alone following sex, with no need to hide from potential witnesses and with no rush to be elsewhere.

Atem spoke first and, to Yuugi's mild surprise, he extended him an invite to spend the night if he wished, so long as the younger man didn't try to pick a fight with him (or talk to him at all, really).

"Despite what you think, I'm not a monster," Atem said, reading the question in Yuugi's gaze. "I'm not gonna kick you out of my house in the middle of the night after sleeping with you," he continued, as he put on a loose pair of basketball shorts, covering himself. He left the room before Yuugi could say anything more, returning with two glasses of water a few minutes later and holding one out towards Yuugi.

Settling his own glass of water down on his nightstand, Atem dug through his drawers and tossed Yuugi some spare night clothes. 

Yuugi muttered a quiet thanks, leaving the room with the gray pair of pants and red shirt Atem had thrown at him. He cleaned himself up in the bathroom, dressed himself, then returned. 

"Which is my side?" Yuugi asked him, gesturing towards the bed. 

"Neither," Atem commented, hovering by the TV stand across from the bed and picking up the remote he found there. "This is my bed, both sides are mine."

Yuugi rolled his eyes, would've told Atem to fuck off, but was actually grateful Atem was letting him stay as he had no interest in taking the bus home this late nor paying thirty dollars for the six minute Uber drive to his house just because it was prime time on a Saturday night. 

Yuugi settled himself into bed, on the side closest to the door, and pulled the beige quilt up to his chest. Without a word, Atem walked back towards the bed with the remote and lowered himself onto the other side of the mattress. 

"I need the TV on to sleep," Atem said, once seated. "The background noise helps." 

Atem surfed through the array of shows and movies, clicked on a title, and placed the remote on his nightstand. He positioned himself underneath the covers then, resting his back against the headboard as the show began to play. 

Yuugi frowned at the TV. "I don't want to watch this," he said. 

"What did I say about arguing with me?" Atem spoke, his eyes still on the screen. "You literally had one rule."

Yuugi's lips fell into a line, huffing a bit as the opening credits for the crime documentary flashed across the screen. He could just go home - pay the extra bit of money so that he didn't have to deal with Atem's bullshit.

But he was already comfortable, in bed, and he figured he could just go to sleep now and leave first thing in the morning.

With a sigh, Yuugi laid his head down onto the pillow, facing towards Atem, and closed his eyes. He easily surrendered to the warmth the comforter provided. Atem's body heat was a nice addition, too, and Yuugi realized at the moment just how tired he actually was. Sleep did not take long to lure him into her clutches.  

Ten minutes into the show, Yuugi's body was already rising and falling with his steady breathing. Only then did Atem turn his head to gaze down at the other.

Yuugi was indeed pretty to look at, with those raven curls intertwined with honey, the boy's skin the color and texture of cream.

In the dim light of his room, Atem recalled the dusty pink hue of Yuugi's cheeks as they fucked and thought of the way Yuugi had looked up at him with those eyes. The irises had reminded Atem of the color born when the sky met the sea in the far-off distance. 

Atem shifted his weight, shaking away the irrelevant and rather intrusive thoughts. He pulled the comforter up to his waist and absently watched the scene play out before him on the TV.

Maybe this whole not-friends-with-benefits thing would work out. 

And if not, he mused, what did he have to lose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eventually, you'll like Atem. maybe. after 30 million pages of character development. *looks at him* develop, motherfucker.


	4. Kiss Me Twice

The original plan had been to leave upon waking, but when the glare from the sun stirred Yuugi to consciousness, the shower called to him like a sweet siren.

He went to wake Atem to ask his permission, but when he turned to him, Yuugi fell still, entranced by how peaceful the other looked while he slept. The lines of Atem's face were at ease, the creases around his eyes smoothed out, his lips full and not twisted into a scowl, and his dark lashes flush against tawny skin that looked almost gold in the light of the morning. Atem was a sleepy dream, and Yuugi suddenly felt like waking him from this picture perfect state went against some unspoken laws of nature. 

He decided then that Atem probably wouldn't mind if he used his shower, there was really no need to wake the man from his slumber. It'd just be a quick rinse, Yuugi had told himself. Atem probably wouldn't even notice. 

And he most likely wouldn't have if Yuugi's five minute shower hadn't turned into a thirty minute one. The shower stall itself was beautiful, enclosed by glass panels with marble floor tiles. Yuugi quickly lost himself under the hot spray, his muscles relaxing as the warm water cascaded down his spine and over his backside, soothing the dull ache there. It felt heavenly against his skin, and he hadn't realized how long he had been in the shower until he heard Atem's disgruntled voice pierce through the pitter-patter of running water. 

To say Atem was not amused by his unauthorized hoarding of all the hot water was an understatement.

But as opposed to tossing him out on his ass after catching him in the shower, Atem opted instead to join him, seeking a different form of retribution for Yuugi's wrongdoing. 

Lifting one of Yuugi's legs, Atem positioned the tip of his cock at his entrance and pushed into him from behind. Water did not make for an effective lubricant, requiring Atem to be rather forceful in his upward thrust, demanding entry past the ring of resistant muscles. Yuugi gasped at Atem's intrusion, breathless as Atem buried his engorged arousal inside of him. 

Neither man was able to maintain the difficult position for long, unsteady as they were on the wet marble floor, so Atem withdrew from Yuugi just long enough to spin him around to face him and push him flush against the glass shower door. With some maneuvering, Yuugi's legs found purchase around Atem's strong hips, and Atem submerged himself back inside of Yuugi's heat. 

Now facing one another, they were able to taste each other with open mouths, steam obscuring the glass around them as Atem bucked his hips up and deeper inside of him. Ignoring the wet bangs stuck to their foreheads and the sides of their faces, they fucked with parted lips, Yuugi panting and moaning into the tiny space in between their lips, and Atem grunting with every thrust inside of the smaller body. The hot water made Yuugi's skin shine like diamonds, flush and pink under the heat of the shower. Atem wanted to taste him even more of him, he decided. He slid the tip of his tongue from Yuugi's jaw, down his neck, and bit at his protruding collarbone, sucking at the skin he found there. The resulting moan caused Atem's cock to twitch inside of Yuugi, and Atem increased his speed, seeking his release. 

Despite the way his body shook and arched into Atem, Yuugi hissed at him in between airy pants and reprimanded the older man, not pleased about the marks Atem was leaving so carelessly on his body. 

Atem bit him again as a response to his scolding, harder this time, closer to his nipple.

By the end of the shower, Yuugi had an impressive trail of black bruises down his chest. 

It was only after towel-drying his hair and slipping back into his clothes from the previous night that Yuugi found Atem again, at the island in the center of the kitchen, making himself breakfast. Yuugi watched the older man spread jam over a piece of toast with a butter knife, and his stomach growled, suddenly famished. He wondered if Atem would grace him with a parting snack, before he began his solo trek back to his own place, but he was also aware that he had long overstayed his welcome in the older man's home. 

Still...

"Can I have a piece?"

"No," Atem said without looking at him. "Go home and eat your own food."

If Yuugi's stomach could frown, it would've. He crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out a hip, leaning against the island counter. "That's not very hospitable of you," he said. 

"I don't feed strays," was the immediate retort. 

_"Excuse me - !"_

Atem popped a piece of toast in Yuugi's mouth, silencing him. If he wasn't so annoyed by Yuugi's lingering presence, he would have actually found the scene rather comical - Yuugi's cheeks rounded in indignation, his lips closed around a slice of wheat toast.  

"Be gone, vagrant." Atem spun Yuugi around, his hand coming to rest at the small of Yuugi's back. Applying pressure, he lightly pushed the younger man out of the kitchen. "Leave me to question my life decisions in peace."

Yuugi pulled the slice of toast out of his mouth and scowled over his shoulder at the other. "Oh, what, no kiss goodbye?" he said, the sarcasm dripping off his words. 

"Get out of my house."

Yuugi finally complied, and Atem heard the front door closing with a bit more force than was necessary. He exhaled into the space around him, basking in the renewed quietness.

Question his life decisions, indeed. 

He wondered, as he turned back to preparing his light breakfast, if the sex was worth it.

Yuugi was... a lot, and Atem valued the simple and quiet things in life, neither of which described Yuugi, who was both stubborn and rather emotional. 

Atem rolled his shoulders back, noticing then how much looser they felt. In fact, his entire body felt far less stiff, more relaxed than it had in a while.

Atem hummed, leaning forward and propping his elbows on the island counter, as he bit into his own piece of toast. 

He supposed waking up to a hot shower and a nice pair of legs certainly wasn't the worse thing in the world.

Perhaps the trade-off would indeed be worth it.

 

* * *

 

"So, you and Atem seem to be gettin' along lately, huh?"

Yuugi pulled at the collar of his shirt, the two-day old bruises littering his chest stinging at the sound of Atem's name. He was mid-chew, the croissant still in his grasp, as he looked across at Katsuya, blinking at the other's words. Both men were seated at a small table at their local Starbucks, where they met for breakfast and coffee as part of their typical Monday morning routine. "I wouldn't say getting along," Yuugi said, after swallowing the bit of pastry between his teeth. He shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe just tolerating each other more?"

Katsuya ran his tongue over his upper lip, lapping up the residual whip cream that his mocha left behind. "Well, whatever you call it, I'm just happy you guys aren't at each other's throats anymore. 'Bout time."

Yuugi traded his croissant for his cup of coffee. He glanced around the small establishment, momentarily observing the other patrons in the midst of their own morning routines. "Don't expect this to last," Yuugi said, returning his attention to his friend, though his words sounded more like a reminder to himself. "I'm expecting Atem to piss me off any day now."

Katsuya furrowed his brows. "I mean, it's not like he's gonna seek you out for the sole purpose of ruinin' your day." He chuckled. "You guys barely even see each other outside of group activities anyways."

Yuugi paused. Then smiled. "Right," he said. 

"Anyways," Katsuya moved on. "Honda was tellin' me last night about this co-worker of his that he wants to set you up with."

Yuugi tilted his lips, a small frown threatening to form. "I don't like being set up," he reminded his friend. 

"I know you don't, but come on, man," Katsuya stressed, half of a mocha still cradled in one hand. "I mean, how long has it been since you've gotten laid?"

Yuugi flushed from the base of neck to the tips of his ears. "That's none of your business, Jou," he huffed out, both offended at his friend's intrusive inquiry and embarrassed of his dirty secret. 

"Hey, I just know it's been a while, and I'm tryin' to help you out. Besides, Honda told me he's just your type."

Yuugi narrowed his gaze, not at all enjoying the path their conversation was taking. "I don't have a type," he insisted, the rest of his croissant forgotten. 

Katsuya let out a hearty laugh, his shoulders bouncing and a bit of mocha spilling over onto his hand at the movement. "Are you kiddin' me?" Katsuya questioned him with a grin. "Let's see - brooding, witty, handsome, dark hair - "

Yuugi squawked, his mouth open to rebuttal, but he found himself hesitating. Now didn't that description sound awfully familiar. "I don't have a type," Yuugi repeated, more forceful this time. "As long as they can hold a conversation, and they're not a massive asshole."

Katsuya rolled his eyes, but relented. "Well, he's not. Honda said he's got a dark and mysterious thing going on, but is pretty darn sweet. You should give him a chance."

Yuugi sighed, bringing the rim of his coffee cup to his lips. It had been a while since he had seriously (or even casually) dated anyone. He had never seemed to have much luck in that department, for one reason or another, and decided about a year ago that he was going to stop looking for Mr. Right and bury himself in his work and hobbies instead. He figured, when the time was right, his soulmate would find him... but perhaps it was time to renew his search efforts. He was a romantic at heart after all, and he had to admit that there were some nights as of late where he found himself exceedingly lonely. 

At the thought, Yuugi considered the prospect of a blind date a bit more seriously.

After all, he knew his arrangement with Atem was a very temporary thing, and he supposed it wasn't the worse idea to begin exploring his options proactively.

"Maybe," Yuugi eventually conceded, much to his friend's visible excitement. "I'll think about it, okay?"

"Attaboy!"

* * *

 

Four nights following Yuugi's sleepover and subsequent invasion of his home, Atem found himself in bed at an unusually early hour.

It had been a long day at work, dealing with his seemingly incompetent staff. The invoices he needed for an afternoon meeting were somehow misplaced by his administrative assistant, and his secretary was still struggling to navigate the new software Kaiba Corp. had recently introduced to streamline company operations. This all reflected poorly on his leadership in turn, and Kaiba did not shy away from making him aware of his thoughts on the matter. 

In the past, after a stressful or unproductive day at work, Atem had sought relief in a documentary or a good book, perhaps even a glass of scotch on the rocks. 

However, this evening, he was very aware (begrudgingly so) that he was craving a different type of relief. 

TV still playing in the background, Atem picked up his phone from his nightstand and scrolled through the contacts list. He searched until a familiar name lit up his display, and his thumb hovered over the green call button. A few moments of consideration later, Atem grumbled and returned his phone to the nightstand. 

He glanced back up at the TV and tried to follow along with the current storyline, despite his wandering thoughts. Without meaning to, he gazed over at the other side of his empty bed. 

He weighed his options then. 

With an annoyed grunt, he pushed the comforter away from his legs and stood. After exchanging his sweatpants for a pair of jeans, Atem pulled a long-sleeve shirt over his head and exited his room, making his way to the foyer. He removed his coat from the nearby rack and slung it over his shoulders, then walked out of his home, closing the door shut behind him.

 

* * *

 

After finally wrapping up a big project at work after nearly eight weeks of grueling effort and only two emotional breakdowns, Yuugi had figured he'd end the night with a celebratory glass of red wine. 

What he hadn't expected was to hear a knock at his door at 9:30pm only to find a five foot seven, lazy-eyed Atem on the other side of it, perched against the threshold.

"Atem?" Yuugi did not dilute the surprise in his voice. He opened the door wider, one hand still holding onto his wine glass. "What are you doing here?"

Atem offered him a raise of his brow. "Surely you can deduce the reason why I'm here," the older man drawled. 

A pink hue crept its way to Yuugi's cheeks. "You can't just show up at my house unannounced like this," he argued, half-flustered. "I could have company over."

"Do you?"

"Well, no, but that's not - "

Atem rolled his eyes and ignored the remainder of Yuugi's protest, stepping into the entry way of the home. He went to brush past Yuugi, who put a hand up to stop him, the younger man growing more infuriated by the second at Atem's blunt dismissal.

Atem reached for the hand meant to stop him, grabbing Yuugi around the wrist, and pulled Yuugi to him. 

"Wait, no, you can't just - "

Yuugi cut himself off when Atem raised his other hand to his neck and held it there. It wasn't an abrasive move, didn't come off as a threat, but instead the gesture seemed more subdued, careful even. Yuugi felt his heart beat stammer under Atem's palm.

There was a heated shine to Atem's eyes, as he wrapped his fingers around the base of Yuugi's neck, and pulled him to him, kissing him, so that he could taste the wine on the boy's lips. 

He hadn't exactly meant to touch Yuugi like this, like he was holding a priceless artifact in his grasp. The kiss had started out as more of a way to shut Yuugi up, and it's not like their mouths were strangers to one another anymore, so Atem hadn't really thought twice about it.

But this... it felt different. 

Atem had the abrupt desire to apologize but was unsure why. 

When he pulled away from the other, he found Yuugi's surprised eyes looking back at him. He opened his mouth to say something, to explain his actions, but Yuugi spoke first.

"Do that again."

"What?"

Yuugi lowered the wine glass in his hand down onto the foyer table by their hips, then leaned toward Atem, decreasing the space in between them. He was so close now that Atem could see the specks of violet in his dark blue eyes.

"Kiss me like that again," Yuugi said, a breathless command. 

Atem wasn't sure what had caused the shift in the temperature around them, but suddenly his skin felt cool, like there was a breeze somewhere. There was anticipation in the air where there had previously been annoyance, and Atem felt himself shiver involuntarily. 

Atem didn't think then, he only reacted.

He reached for Yuugi's jaw and lured him closer still. Yuugi's lips were soft, he noticed then, like fallen petals of a rose, and he tasted of grapes. Atem wondered if the wine from Yuugi's lips alone was enough to intoxicate him like this.

He lowered his mouth, bringing Yuugi's bottom lip in between his, and biting down on it gently. He heard Yuugi's breath hitch in his throat and felt his erection heavy at his thigh. He went to pull back, but Yuugi followed him, the boy's tongue trying to coax Atem to continue his ministrations. Atem exhaled a breath through his nose and kissed Yuugi deeper, opening his eyes for a moment to find Yuugi's half-lidded gaze already fixated on him, a full blush painting his fair skin an enchanting rosy hue. There was a pulse in between Atem's legs, but also one in his chest. He sucked again at Yuugi's bottom lip, between his own, and Yuugi was suddenly like water in his hand, completely at his mercy, waiting for Atem to open him up in any way he saw fit. 

"Bedroom," Atem mumbled, hot and thick against Yuugi's swollen lips.

Yuugi tried to oblige, tried to lead them in the right direction without breaking the kiss, but they were all shaky limbs and stumbled steps. 

It proved too challenging a feat for Atem, he decided. 

Yuugi's couch would have to do. 

 


	5. Walls Will Crumble

It was another three weeks and four more impromptu rendezvous, before they were forced out together in public again - this time for Anzu's 24th birthday.

Anzu had been desperate to go to the local cinema to watch the most recent Disney adaptation for weeks now, and her birthday provided the perfect cover for her to convince her more reluctant friends to accompany her. It turned out to be much easier to sway them when they learned of the most recent addition - a section of the theater that was strictly 21-plus and offered both alcohol and bar food. 

Katsuya and Honda took little convincing after that.

Ryou tagged along as well, many in their circle of friends having grown more and more fond of the man with each occasion he joined them for. 

Atem was in attendance too, though his presence had more to do with an ingrained sense of obligation than it did his actual desire to see the film. After all, he and Anzu had become close over the years, their relationship similar in nature to that of a brother and sister, and so it felt almost a nod to that friendship that he be here, regardless of his interest in the activity. If nothing else, it made her happy, he supposed. 

The possibility of getting laid later on - if Yuugi ever showed that is - was simply an added bonus. 

Speaking of the hot mess that Yuugi all but encompassed, Atem's desire to be back in between the younger man's thick thighs was quickly beginning to fade with each passing minute, his irritation at Yuugi's tardiness stifling his sexual appetite.  

Atem glanced to his left just in time to catch Anzu frowning down at her watch. Yuugi was supposed to have met up with them almost fifteen minutes ago. 

"I hope he gets here soon," she said, as they stood outside by the theater doors, awaiting their last arrival.  

"He better," Katsuya said, rubbing his palms together in an effort to warm up his hands. The cold February evening was anything but forgiving to those under-dressed. "Previews are my favorite part!" he added, to which Honda concurred with a loud expletive and fist-pump.  

Ryou, dressed more sensibly in gloves and a hat, smiled at his companions. "If you all want to head in, I could wait out here for him with his ticket," he suggested. "That way, you can find our seats and start your orders."

Anzu returned his smile with a thankful one of her own. "That's very kind of you, Ryou. How about we give him another few minutes and then - "

"Ah, there he goes, the little bastard," Katsuya interrupted, distractedly. With a jerk of his head, he nodded in the direction of their shorter mutual friend scurrying across the parking lot, towards them. 

"Hey!" Yuugi greeted, once within earshot. His face was flushed, a bead of sweat at his brow despite the chilliness of the evening. Turned out that sprinting through the streets in a thick blue winter coat and jeans was a rather exerting endeavor. "Sorry, sorry, I totally lost track of time."

"You're late," Atem stated flatly, gazing down at the other. It was only through his discontentment at having to wait fifteen minutes for this absurd man to show that he was able to ignore the pants leaving those bow pink lips and the blush of Yuugi's cheeks. If the scenario were different (and more private), Atem would've found it difficult to keep his hands to himself.  

"I know," Yuugi exhaled, still slightly out of breath. He flashed Atem a look before turning towards Anzu. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Yuugi," Anzu said. She took a step forward and pulled Yuugi into a brief hug. "I'm just happy you made it!" 

"Of course!" Yuugi said, giving her a squeeze before separating from her. He jerked forward a bit when a hand came to slap at his back, right in between his shoulder blades.  

"Alright, let's get inside!" Katsuya announced from behind him. "I'm freezin', and there's a beer in there callin' my name!"

The conversation was brief and lighthearted as the group of six made their way inside, past the ticket booth, and to the appropriate section of the theater. With only a few minutes to spare prior to the movie start time, Yuugi offered to fetch their drinks from the bar as the others secured their seats. Atem stayed behind with him to help, but the scowl practically etched onto the older man's face told Yuugi that the ensuing conversation was going to be anything but pleasant. 

"What's your problem?" Yuugi asked him as soon as they were alone. 

Leaning forward on the bar, Atem slid his narrowed gaze to Yuugi. "Do you not realize how rude it is that you constantly show up late to engagements?" he questioned. 

Yuugi rolled his eyes, the gesture accompanied by a small shake his head. "Look, I already apologized. Honestly, it's not that big of a deal," he argued. 

Atem was not even remotely impressed. "Our friends will try to spare your feelings on the matter," he told him. "But I do hope you realize that making others wait for you on such a regular basis is entirely inconsiderate of you."

Yuugi felt his temper ignite a bit at that, but resisted the urge to snap back at Atem in defense. He did not want to start an argument right before the movie, nor did he want to detract from Anzu's special day. But, honestly, the whole conversation was leaving a bad taste in his mouth, and he was finding it a challenge to keep his conflicting emotions in check. 

He hadn't seen Atem in almost a week, and he was utterly embarrassed to admit to himself that he had been looking forward to seeing the man that had been ravishing him so thoroughly for... well, technically, _months_ now. 

They had fallen into bed together enough times that Yuugi knew the exact spot on Atem's neck that drove him wild, knew that it made Atem shiver and ache when he pressed his lips right beneath his Adam's apple. He knew how much Atem enjoyed it when Yuugi trailed his fingers up his spine, he knew how to move his hips in a way that made Atem fuck him faster. But he didn't know how to make Atem laugh or smile or crack a joke, and that bothered him for some reason. 

Atem's sudden attack on his character bothered him even more, and he certainly didn't appreciate Atem overreacting for what Yuugi deemed a simple mistake. 

Yuugi was saved from having to engage Atem further when Katsuya approached them, informing them of where their seats were. Katsuya extended an offer to help Yuugi with the drinks so that Atem could get settled himself, and the scarlet-eyed man accepted without pause.

Yuugi didn't bother to watch Atem go, but still his mood had soured enough for Katsuya to notice. 

"Hey, what's up man?" his blond friend asked, nudging him. 

"Ugh, just Atem being Atem," Yuugi said with a tight frown and small shrug. "He's just giving me a hard time about being late tonight. Had the nerve to tell me that I'm inconsiderate. Pot, meet kettle, right?"

Whereas Yuugi hadn't expected Katsuya to come charging to his defense over the matter, he certainly hadn't expected the abrupt silence that followed his statement. Yuugi raised his brow at his blond companion, eyes widening as he read the reluctance in his friend's gaze. "Wait..." Yuugi said, his words slow, with genuine surprise. "Does it really bother you guys that much when I'm late?"

Katsuya released a large enough sigh that his cheeks rounded. "Look, we know you don't mean to do it, but... yeah, it's a bit annoyin' to have to be waitin' on you all the time. But - !" Katsuya added hurriedly at Yuugi's expression. "We overlook it, because we love you and, let's be real, it's not like any of us are perfect either, y'know. You havin' a flaw or two doesn't mean you're a bad person." Katsuya smiled at him, in a way that let Yuugi know that all was already forgiven and forgotten. "And, hey, maybe keep that mind the next time you and Atem butt heads on somethin', yeah?" he said.  

Yuugi paused, absorbing the words, before turning his gaze from his friend, down towards the bar-top. He was at a loss for words, and another apology seemed so utterly insufficient in that moment. He had no idea that his friends had found his tardiness to be an actual problem. It wasn't like he did it on purpose, after all. He just lost track of time a lot and forgot to add events into his calendar app and misplaced his keys on occasion and...

Yuugi's thoughts came to an abrupt halt, stunned in his realization that these were all excuses he had been using over the years to condone a rather unappealing trait of his, instead of taking ownership of it and trying to correct the behavior. 

How many times had he accused Atem of doing the same?

Jesus, no wonder Atem was so put off.

He was being a _massive hypocrite._

"Hey, buddy, don't get bummed out over it," Katsuya said, breaking through Yuugi's thoughts. "We love ya, alright." He reached out and squeezed Yuugi's shoulder reassuringly. "Just maybe set an alarm next time, yeah?"

When Yuugi turned to look back up at Katsuya, he was met with a toothy grin, beaming and kind, and Yuugi loved his friend dearly for it. "Yeah, of course," Yuugi said, then gestured to the row of drinks that had placed down in front of them a minute prior, "now, let's go, we're missing the previews!" 

* * *

 

It was only after the movie and a few rounds of drinks at the bar across the street from the cinema that the friends parted way - Anzu via a rideshare, and the guys catching their usual bus route. Yuugi chose to make the journey back home on foot given that the cinema was only a seven minute walk from his house - this made it even more embarrassing, he inwardly groaned, that he was the last one to arrive.

As Yuugi's house was on the way to Atem's, the older man offered to walk Yuugi home, the time nearing midnight.  

For the first time in months, Atem actually didn't have any ulterior motive here. He had found that his sexual desire for Yuugi had dampened significantly at Yuugi's inability to recognize his own thoughtlessness earlier that evening. That being the case, Atem planned to continue on directly to his house after dropping the other off. It was only a 25 minute walk, after all - 20 if he picked up his pace a bit.

When all was said and done, Atem supposed that he didn't really need to walk Yuugi home, but it was late, it wasn't out of the way and, to be honest, Atem felt more comfortable knowing that the brat was home and safe and not out wandering the streets with those bright blue eyes that Atem assumed would only serve as a beacon for trouble at this time of night. 

Yuugi was grateful for the company, despite it being a painfully quiet walk to his house.

The younger of the two wanted to extend an olive branch and tried to find the words to do so, but none seemed appropriate. It was also pretty evident that Atem was not about to indulge him in any trivial conversation.

Indeed, it was only when they had arrived at Yuugi's door, and Atem had turned to leave with a simple _"Night,"_ tossed over his shoulder, that Yuugi finally felt compelled to say something.  

"Wait..." Yuugi said, biting his bottom lip.  

Atem paused in his retreat and turned halfway to look at Yuugi, his gaze impatient.  

Exhaling, Yuugi lifted a hand to run his bangs back into his messy halo of hair. "You know, you really are a dick sometimes," Yuugi began. 

"Is this how you say thank you for walking you home?" Atem inquired with a lift of a single brow. "Because I have a book on common courtesy and etiquette that I can let you borrow if - " 

"Atem, shut up, I'm trying to apologize here."

"You're off to a really rough start then," Atem countered, though his face changed then, his gaze betraying an inkling of both surprise and interest.

Yuugi tilted his lips and crossed his arms. He shifted his weight on his feet. "I know, sorry, I just..." he sighed again. "Look, you don't make it easy for us to get along. But... I guess I don't really either. So, I'm sorry for being difficult. I guess I have some things I need to work on. I really didn't realize how inconsiderate I was being to my friends, being late all the time. I just didn't think it was that big of a deal, but... you were right. So... thanks for pointing it out, however harsh it might've been. Not sure our other friends would've ever said anything," Yuugi offered him a small smile, his olive branch. "Like you said, they're always trying to spare my feelings."

If Yuugi didn't know any better, he would've said that Atem looked positively startled in that moment - those burgundy eyes wide and dark brows furrowed. Somewhere in his speech, Atem had turned his body fully to face him, hands still in his coat pockets, and his lips slightly parted. Yuugi felt unnerved by both the look Atem was directing his way and with the abrupt quietness that followed.  If the situation weren't so earnest, Yuugi might've thought it funny to wave his hand in front of Atem's face and ask him if anybody was home. Maybe Atem's positronic net had short-circuited. 

"Uh, anyways," Yuugi said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I should head in - "

"No."

"No?"

It only took three steps to close the distance in between them, and Atem did so in seconds. Placing a hand at Yuugi's waist, Atem searched Yuugi's deep blue eyes intently and found the layer of amethyst underneath. Atem could not remember the last time that someone apologized to him; the last time that someone actually said he was ' _right'_. He had learned over the years that people were rarely receptive to criticism of themselves, regardless of it's validity. It was much easier for another person to shove the criticism back in his face, to point out his own flaws, than to reflect on their own. It was something that even he struggled with, and so, in his opinion, it was a show of strength, of character, that Yuugi had been able to do so with an air of grace even.  

In the cold of the night that surrounded them, Atem knew, more than he knew that the sky was blue and the earth was round, that Yuugi was not perfect by any means. To be honest, the younger man was an absolute thorn in his side.

Still, Atem could not deny that for just a single moment in time there was something rather perfect about him.  

 

* * *

 

Based on the tense atmosphere between them all evening, Yuugi certainly hadn't expected Atem to end up in his bed tonight. He would've bet his life savings that Atem would've never pulled him to his chest like this and kissed him like he was the last man on earth. 

And yet, there they were, fumbling, half-naked, into Yuugi's bedroom, their fingers still cold but their bodies on fire. 

Imagine Yuugi's surprise, bordering on shock, when Atem pushed him down onto his bed, pulled his pants off, and lowered his head to encase Yuugi's cock in his mouth. 

"Holy fuck, oh my _god - !"_

Yuugi could not breathe correctly, he was absolutely in need of life support from the moment he felt Atem drag his tongue from the base of his cock to the very tip, before engulfing him completely. Yuugi moaned, his breathing erratic, and every limb of his body trembling. The scorching, slick heat inundating him was so pleasurable, it was nearly painful. He clutched at his blue bed sheets by his hips and tried not to buck into the wet heat of Atem's mouth, despite how much Atem's tongue beckoned him to do so. As if sensing his crumbling restraint, Atem's strong hands found themselves at each of his thighs, prying his legs further apart and holding his hips in place. Using the leverage to keep Yuugi still, Atem guided Yuugi's entire arousal into his mouth, towards the back of his throat, and _sucked_. 

Yuugi felt hot tears at his eyes, overcome as he was, submerged in an undercurrent of bliss. After nearly ten minutes of torture (and rest assured, this was torture, because Yuugi would have given Atem anything that the older man asked for, hell, he would've turned over state secrets if he had them), Atem's mouth left his aching arousal, and Yuugi whimpered in response. He was so very close, and just needed Atem's talented tongue sliding up his cock one more time to push him over the edge.

But Atem had other plans, it seemed. 

As Yuugi would later come to realize, Atem was selfish in his need, in his desire to feel the waves of pleasure pulsate through his smaller body, as he climaxed. Atem needed to be inside of him, he craved the feeling of Yuugi clenching around him as he ruined him. 

This was why Atem spent only a minute loosely prepping Yuugi, before submerging his cock inside of him, exhaling deep when Yuugi arched into him, a familiar sight.

Atem reveled in being in between Yuugi's soft thighs again.

It was quickly becoming his favorite place to be.

It was only after they had both found their release that (arguably) coherent words resurfaced in Yuugi's brain again. He gazed up at the sweaty, bronze-skinned man sprawled out next to him in bed, with those sharp cheekbones and an angled jaw that Yuugi wanted to run his tongue along, and through his pants, he muttered, "Oh my... that was... holy shit."

Yuugi was beside himself.

That was the best blowjob he'd ever been on the receiving end of. 

Was that because he apologized to Atem?

Well, fuck it, he'd apologize all day long to get more of those.

He heard Atem chuckle a bit and wondered, in a brief moment of dread, if he had said that out loud.

"Never thought I'd see the day that you were speechless," Atem commented, and Yuugi breathed out a sigh of relief. 

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," Yuugi replied, sitting up in his bed, his body still soft and tender. He glanced over at the nearby clock. "Hmm. It's late. You might as well stay the night."

Atem looked over at the clock as well, considering it. "I suppose I have no where I need to be in the morning," he said. 

Though Yuugi was the one to offer, the shorter man was momentarily surprised that Atem had actually agreed to stay overnight. Other than the one time Yuugi had crashed at Atem's place following Honda's promotion, they hadn't spent the night together following a hookup. 

Yuugi shrugged the thought away in favor of freshening up in the bathroom and then digging through his bureau for some sleepwear. He was able to find Atem a pair of grey sweatpants to sleep in, ones that were too long for him, but seemed to fit Atem quite well. For himself, he pulled out an old white shirt and a pair of purple cotton shorts.

Once dressed, Yuugi laid down onto the side of his bed closest to the door. Atem, who was standing at the foot of the bed, waved his hands at him, scowling. "I'm going to sleep on that side," the elder declared. 

Yuugi looked up at him with a glare set neatly on his pretty face. "This is my bed. You don't get a side," he shot back the familiar words.  

"The hell I don't." 

"You can sleep on the floor for all I care. Besides, I like sleeping by the door. You can't just - _hey!"_

Yuugi yelped when Atem grabbed him by his ankle and yanked him across the mattress, pulling him to the other side of the bed. "I am a guest in your home," Atem reminded him, the nerve. "Which means I get whatever side of the bed I want."

"The fuck you do." Yuugi wiggled his leg free from Atem's grasp and looked up at Atem with a narrowed gaze. There was something playful about it. "Besides, I don't negotiate with terrorists," he announced stubbornly. 

Whether he meant to or not, Atem actually cracked a smile at that. "I'm pretty sure both you and I know that I have a specific skill set that will make you rather susceptible to persuasion, no?"

Yuugi flushed at the renewed image of Atem's head bobbing up and down between his legs, his wet tongue swirling around his cock, as the silken strands of Atem's hair caressed his inner thighs. 

Yuugi blushed a fierce red then, and the smirk Atem sent him in response was downright _wicked_. 

"Fine, fine, have whatever side you want, you ass," Yuugi relented, still pink and deliberately avoiding Atem's smug gaze. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Atem laid down on 'his side', the older man leaning his back against the blue pillows lining the headboard.

Yuugi rolled over onto his stomach then, TV remote in his hand and legs swaying in the air behind him. He reached for his Kuribo plush on his nightstand - an old gift from Anzu - and set it down in front of him. Atem looked like he wanted to comment on it, but ultimately decided against it. 

"So, I know you like to watch crime shows or whatever to fall asleep, but I don't want that shit in my head right before bed," Yuugi said, as he scrolled through the streaming movie titles on the screen. After a minute of searching, he selected one. 

"Love Actually?" Atem inquired, already halfway to annoyed. 

"It is a _great_ movie, and I'm ready to fight you on that if you disagree."

Atem rolled his eyes. "You're always ready to fight me," he said, but figured that the movie didn't really matter, as he was well past tired and would be asleep soon enough. "Fine," he acquiesced, though he couldn't help but add. "You giant dork." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 - any star trek fans out there, hope you liked the little easter egg in this one [aren't i so clever comparing Atem to an android XD]


	6. Say The Word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Rough Sex. 
> 
> *surprised pikachu*

Yuugi was very cognizant of their current standoff.

His body even more so.

He could feel it aching and whining - essentially throwing a hissy fit, because it had been nearly two weeks since Atem had last touched him.  

It was pride at this point - pride and competition, he reasoned - that kept the two men apart. 

Yuugi wasn't sure of the exact moment he picked up on what was happening. All he knew was that at some point last week he came to the realization that Atem was _waiting him out;_ seeing how long Yuugi could go without sex before he cracked and went crawling to him, on his knees, begging for it. 

Yuugi was incensed upon this realization. The nerve of this man, who was so utterly full of himself, it amazed Yuugi he didn't just spontaneously combust.

If Atem thought that Yuugi couldn't drop him like a bad habit at a moment's notice, he had another thing coming. So what if his body was upset over the lack of attention from Atem - he was a man, _goddamnit_ , and he wasn't about to fall to pieces just because Atem wanted to play this stupid game.

He didn't need Atem to bring him to paradise, he could find the promised land on his own. 

Yuugi had to admit, there were a few occasions in the past week where he doubted himself. Maybe he was overthinking this; maybe Atem was just busy with work.

Or, maybe, _just maybe_ , the elder man wasn't interested in hooking up anymore. 

Yuugi was a little put off by the thought, but he supposed, it was a legitimate possibility. 

Yuugi's doubts on the matter, however, were all but eradicated the next time they met, for Friday night drinks with the usual crew, sans Anzu.

As soon as Yuugi had arrived at the bar, and Atem met his gaze, a subtle smirk on his flawlessly tan face, Yuugi knew that Atem  _knew_ exactly what he doing. 

Renewed with a fierce determination to not take part in this petty game, Yuugi steeled himself against Atem's subdued advances.

Easier said than done though, since Yuugi would be lying if he said his heart didn't leap in his throat, and his mind right back into the gutter the moment laid eyes on Atem. The older man was currently sporting a mahogany turtle neck that brought out his eyes and black jeans that seemed more like a second skin. Yuugi had to swallow the desire to explore the vast expanse of sun-kissed skin and taunt muscles that he knew laid under Atem's sweater.

Despite being able to engage in pleasant conversation with his friends, Yuugi remained very distracted. He tried to ignore the flutter in his stomach, the anticipation in the air that was heavy enough to be a solid weight, but it was nearly impossible to dismiss. He was weak, he lamented, and he found himself sharing heated glances with Atem when no one was looking.

A knee bumped into his under the table then, and his eyes flashed to the perpetrator.

Atem wasn't looking at him, his eyes focused instead towards the stage where a local band was playing live music, but there was a curve to his lips that made Yuugi's insides melt. 

"You want anything, Yuug'?"

"Huh?" Yuugi looked back at Honda with a small blush, played it off like he was simply looking elsewhere. "Sorry, can you repeat that?"

"Do you want another drink? I'm buying the next round."

"Oh, uh," Yuugi glanced down at his half-full pint glass. He knew if he was going to survive the night, he'd need his faculties unimpeded. "No, I'm fine. Thank you."

Yuugi didn't notice until it was too late that he and Atem were suddenly very alone. With Ryou in the bathroom, and Jou accompanying Honda to the bar, there was nothing for Yuugi to feign interest in other than the drink menu in front of him. A flush filled his cheeks when he felt eyes searching his face and so he looked even harder at the menu, as if the drink options were written in a different language and he needed to truly focus to decipher them. Maybe he would take another drink. In fact, maybe he'd take ten more drinks so that he could forget how vulnerable he was feeling. He hated that he had misplaced his confidence at such a critical juncture in the night. 

"You look nice tonight."

The heat in his face nearly hurt, but Yuugi only hoped that the darkened bar hid some of his shame. In another context, Yuugi would've been shocked at the compliment, he didn't realize Atem gave those out for free, but Yuugi also knew that this was all part of the game. "Thanks." Yuugi glanced at Atem and bit his bottom lip. He noticed the dark eyes flash a bit at the gesture. "You don't look too bad yourself," Yuugi managed, trying to sound more confident than he actually was. 

Atem smirked, looked elsewhere. "You seem flustered," he stated. 

"I'm not." Yuugi replied. "It's just hot." 

"You'd probably feel better if you took your clothes off."

_"What?"_

Atem turned back to him and blinked, as if confused by Yuugi's response. "Your hoodie. You probably wouldn't feel so hot if you took some of your layers off," Atem explained smoothly. 

Though Atem's blank face said otherwise, Yuugi knew that  _that was not what he meant._   

"Or maybe drink some water," Atem continued with a small shrug. "You might just be thirsty."

Yuugi wondered that if instead of shielding his blush, that maybe the dark bar served to emphasize the bright hue he must have been radiating. He might as well have been a human lighthouse. After all, Atem was too precise, too intelligent, to not be aware of the double meaning of his words. 

Yuugi realized then just how much Atem was enjoying this, despite the man's flat expression. 

The sorely missed trio returned before Yuugi could fathom a response. Ryou first, then Honda and Jou with their drinks. 

Atem brought his glass to his lips and shifted his attention to their friends, and Yuugi was momentarily thankful for the return of lighthearted conversation - all the way up until the subject of that conversation became him. 

"Oh, Yuugi, before I forget!" Honda said, his smile wide from his small buzz. "I have a co-worker that I've been meaning to set you up with. I've really been talking you up, and he's super interested."

Yuugi's peppered hue of color from Atem's earlier flirting, if you can even call it that, became a full-fledged body paint. " _What?_  " he said, exasperated. "Honda, I didn't ask you to do that."

"Yeah, don't worry, bud, I know your type - "

"I don't have a type."

" - and he fits the bill! Trust me on this!"

"I can handle my own non-existent love life, thanks though," Yuugi muttered. 

Katsuya coughed into his hand, but Yuugi was able to detect the chuckle underneath it. 

"Oh, come on." Honda lifted a brow, challenging him. "Give me one good reason why you won't give him a chance"

Yuugi glanced down at his drink with a sigh. Atem situation aside, Yuugi was not a fan of being put on the spot.

Still... he did tell Katsuya a few weeks ago that he'd consider it, and he supposed he didn't actually have a reason to not to give this guy (who came recommended by a very close friend) a shot.  

_Well. Other than..._

Out of the corner of his eye, Yuugi glanced over at Atem, quickly enough to go unnoticed. 

Atem wasn't looking at him though, wasn't even looking towards the group at this point. He was back to watching the band on stage, though perhaps a tad more intently than before. 

"Uh. Alright," Yuugi eventually conceded, his voice reluctant. "I guess so."

"Sweet, you're gonna love him!" Honda assured him with a grin. "And, for all any of us know, I could be setting you up with the one - oh! Then I could be the best man at your wedding."

"Like hell you will," Katsuya butt in, elbowing the brunet in the ribs, non-too-gently. Ryou had yet to comment. In fact, the light-haired man was looking a bit perplexed, though Yuugi wasn't sure why. 

"I already regret this," Yuugi laughed, but no, really, he did. He was awful on first dates - became oddly quiet and unsure of himself. Kind of like how he was feeling right now. It didn't suit him at all. 

"Don't worry, man, I wouldn't set you up with some weirdo. I'll give him your number tomorrow and have him call you, yeah?"

"Ugh, god, okay, whatever, can we just stop talking about this now?"

Katsuya laughed heartily, his lips stretching into a grin. "Oh man, what's got you all wound up?"

"Nothing. I just - "

Atem made a noise, like a cough in the back of his throat, and then downed his last bit of whiskey. "Sorry, I have to call it a night," the red-eyed man announced to the group. 

Yuugi smothered his surprise and watched silently as Atem stood from his chair and put his jacket on. 

The way the night had been going, the looks, the intensity, the playful air... Yuugi figured that one way or another, they'd end up leaving together, despite his unwillingness to feed into Atem's ego. 

What changed?

Yuugi absently heard his friends bid their collective farewells to their departing ally, and Atem left with a small salute.

Yuugi watched his back for a moment longer than intended, then directed his attention back to his friends with a smile, though his mind wandered.

He wanted to follow Atem, to question the man's abrupt departure, but he also knew that he had to stay a bit longer if he wanted to keep their mutual circle of friends off their tails.

So, Yuugi drank his beer and engaged in friendly small talk until enough time (20 minutes by his account) elapsed that his subsequent departure wouldn't appear too suspicious. 

Still, Katsuya frowned at him when he went to stand.

"Everything okay?" his blond friend asked. 

"Me?" Yuugi nodded, reassuringly. "Oh yeah, just fine. I just gotta project I want to get a head start on. No rest for the wicked, you know."

Katsuya shrugged, but grinned at his shorter companion nonetheless. "Alright, buddy. Get home safe. See ya Monday?"

"You know it," Yuugi said with a wink, zipping-up his hoodie over his shirt. He tossed a wave over his shoulder at the remaining trio, as he made for the exit. 

"Wonder what that was about," Katsuya thought aloud after Yuugi had left, his gaze shifting back to the other men. 

Ryou rolled one shoulder, taking a sip of his own beer. "Well, I'd imagine that Atem isn't too happy about Yuugi being set up on a date," he commented. 

Two sets of brows furrowed in Ryou's direction. "Uh, why would Atem care about that?" Honda inquired, nose scrunched in confusion. 

Ryou paused, his lips tilting. It was his turn to be confused. "Well, aren't they sleeping together?" 

Ryou almost jumped out of his chair at how loud Katsuya laughed. "Are you kidding me? _Those two?"_ Katsuya elbowed Honda in the ribs beside him, grinning ear to ear. "Oh man, that's rich."

Honda mirrored his blond friend's expression, wiping imaginary tears from his eyes. "Hey, look Ryou, I know you haven't been around as long as the rest of us, but let's just say Atem and Yuugi have a long history of... not getting along. To their credit, they've been more civil with each other recently... but no, they are absolutely not hooking up."

Ryou hesitated. He knew the history of Yuugi and Atem's prior relationship (or lack thereof), he had heard his fair shares of horror stories from previous gatherings but... surely the others could see what he saw? "I just figured they were with how they look at each other," Ryou explained. 

Katsuya waved him off, still smiling. "Nah man, that's all bravado. They just size each other up sometimes."

_More like undress each other with their eyes._

Ryou resisted the urge to speak his thoughts. He knew an eye fuck when he saw one, but it was not his place to correct the two men in front of him. He honestly hadn't meant to blow up Atem or Yuugi's spot, he just thought that everyone knew.

It was rather obvious, after all. 

"Ah, then, my mistake," Ryou said instead, with a small, cheerful smile. He picked up his pint glass from the table and brought the rim to his lips. "Thanks for clearing that up for me," he said, before finishing his drink.

 

* * *

 

Atem seemed reluctant to let him in, but did so after a moment. 

"Something I can help you with, Yuugi?" the older man inquired with a raise of a single brow. 

Yuugi stood in the threshold of Atem's foyer and almost instantly regretted his decision to come here. He didn't belong here. Atem should've been able to come and go without his permission and without any questions. Yet, something felt off, and Yuugi didn't like it. There was a weird distance between them that Yuugi couldn't recall being there earlier in the night.  

"Uh, well, you just left the bar suddenly and..." Yuugi grasped for an explanation for his presence, but couldn't find one that seemed reasonable enough. "I wanted to make sure everything was okay," he eventually said, inwardly wincing the moment the words left his mouth. 

Atem's face remained unchanged. "How thoughtful," he said. "But as you can see," he gestured around him with one open arm, "everything is quite alright. Anything else I can help you with?"

There was a bite to the words, bubbling just under the surface. This only served to confuse Yuugi more. He had thought them to be on good terms as of late. Even tonight, Atem seemed very interested in him (or at least, in his body), up until Honda mentioned... oh.

But... why? 

“Is this about what Honda said? About his co-worker?" Yuugi tilted his head, genuinely puzzled. "Does it… uh, would it bother you? If I went out on a date?”

Atem appeared almost offended by the question. “Why on Earth would you think that I care about your dating life, Yuugi?" Atem turned on his heel then and walked towards the kitchen with a wave of his hand. "Do whatever you want.”

There it was again.

A trace of hostility in Atem's voice.

Despite not technically being invited to, Yuugi followed Atem into the kitchen. He passed through the doorway in time to see Atem pouring himself a glass of scotch.

“I guess I just don’t understand why you seem so hostile towards the idea then," Yuugi said, more assertive now. His unexpected bout of insecurity brought on by Atem's heavy gazes and baritone voice was fading quickly. Confusion and stubbornness took it's place. 

Atem lifted his head, turning annoyed eyes to him. “Oh, get off it, will you?" he said, leaning back against a counter-top. He crossed his arms over his chest, one hand holding onto his glass near the junction of his elbow. "I really couldn’t care less.”

There was an odd pang, somewhere in his chest, but Yuugi was too invested in their ongoing conversation to pay it any mind. "You seem angry right now,” he suggested. 

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

Atem's expression darkened. “Don't you dare come into my house and tell me what and how I'm feeling, Yuugi. I don't know who you think you are, but - "

"Stop yelling at me," Yuugi interrupted, matching the irritation in Atem's voice.  

Atem's lips bled into a harsh frown. "I'm not yelling, I'm talking."

"Then stop talking _at me!"_

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Atem pushed himself forward, shifting his weight back onto his feet, and put his drink down on the island in front of him, harder than was needed. "You are quite literally the most absurd man I've ever had the misfortune of meeting," he snapped. 

Yuugi forced himself to exhale, though his face remained flushed in frustration. "Look, if you don't want me to date - "

"Don't fool yourself for one moment, thinking that our arrangement means anything more to me than sex. As I said before, when one of us wants out, we'll stop. It's that easy."

It happened again, a brief yet sharp sting in his chest, but again, he ignored it. He opened his mouth to retort, not sure of what he was going to say, but aware that whatever words he was about to speak were going to be far from pleasant. It was arguably a good thing that his phone began to ring and vibrate in his pants pocket, momentarily distracting them both from the heated altercation. 

Yuugi pulled his cell from his jean pocket, with more force than necessary, and went to silence it, before noticing that it was his grandfather calling.

It could be an emergency. 

Yuugi glanced up at Atem with narrowed eyes. "Hold on," he instructed the other, before flipping open the phone and putting it to his ear.

 

* * *

 

The audacity of this angry little toddler to stomp into his house and rile him up like this, then tell him to _hold on._

If he was more inclined and it was socially acceptable, he would've taken Yuugi over his knee. 

Atem breathed in deep and reset himself. He could hear Yuugi speaking softly to whoever was on the other side of the phone - a family member from the sound of it.

Well, Yuugi was right about one thing, which was shocking in it's own right since Yuugi was right about so very little, but even Atem had to admit that it seemed as if he was... letting his emotions dictate this argument much more than usual.

Arguing with Yuugi wasn't new, but the emotion he was putting behind the argument was. 

He wasn't sure exactly why he was so tense, couldn't pinpoint why this conversation in particular bothered him so. 

Perhaps he was simply annoyed - inconvenienced at the idea of not having exclusive access to Yuugi. The thought of finding someone else to warm his bed when he needed was in itself tiresome. It was rare for him to find the sort of sexual chemistry that he and Yuugi shared, and he was not thrilled at the idea of having to expend energy to seek it out elsewhere. 

If Yuugi fell in love with another, then that would certainly put an end to things, which, despite what Atem had said, wasn't as easy a thought to swallow as it should've been. After all, he had grown fond of the curves that made Yuugi up - his slender hips, his soft jaw, his round shoulders. All places that Atem had memorized, all places he had tasted and explored and found himself intrigued by when their limbs were intertwined. 

He could still hear Yuugi talking on the phone in hushed tones, the man's back now to him. It had been a long two weeks without Yuugi panting and writhing underneath him, but he was curious to see how the distance would affect the other. He'd wondered how long Yuugi could resist his touch; how many nights the other could go before showing up at his door, pleading for Atem to open his thighs wide and fill him to the brim. 

As the thought passed his mind, Atem briefly wondered if Yuugi's thighs were as soft as he remembered.

Perhaps, he was idealizing Yuugi too much.

Maybe it had indeed been too long, and Atem's memory of their slick bodies moving against each other was more tantalizing than the actual act. 

He decided he needed to test out this theory; he needed to compare the image in his head with the real thing in front of him. 

So, he approached Yuugi from behind, his chest coming up to Yuugi's back, and his breath at his neck.

Rather abruptly, he heard Yuugi halt mid-sentence. 

Taking advantaged of the lull in Yuugi's brain functioning, he took the phone out of Yuugi's right hand and snapped it close with a _pop_. 

"Hey, I was talking to - !"

"Unless you're going to put it to actual good use, close your mouth."

Yuugi spun around, half-bristling and shoulders already tense. His irritation was fleeting, however, when he recognized the way Atem was looking at him. He had seen that look before. As if he didn't stand a fighting chance.

Atem took a small step forward, into his space, and Yuugi tried to focus on anything but the shape of Atem's mouth and the shades of dark ruby that colored his irises. "What are you... " Yuugi swallowed thickly. "No, cut it out, I'm mad at you."

"Irrelevant." Atem grabbed Yuugi's chin and tilted his head up, towards him. The kitchen light hit Yuugi's eyes at the right angle, and Atem watched as the baby blues bled into a tinted amethyst. 

"Atem..." Yuugi said, suddenly breathless. His hands came up to Atem's chest, and he pressed his palms against the smooth fabric of his mahogany sweater, forcing some distance between them, however little. 

Atem seemed partly distracted, despite his leveled gaze, but still was able to offer him a deep "Hm?" in response.  

Yuugi shivered, the vibration coming from Atem's throat sending a wave of heat over his shoulders and dripping down his back. "I... " Yuugi paused, gathering his thoughts. He could feel a familiar weight in his belly. "Listen here -" 

"Oh, no, that's not how this works," Atem interrupted, snapping fully to attention then. He inclined his head, his fingers still wrapped around Yuugi's jaw, and his dark eyes alight. "You have no authority here," he told him. He nodded his head towards the kitchen door. "Come," was his one-word order. 

 

* * *

 

Yuugi wasn't expecting to be thrown so roughly onto the bed, but Atem seemed to care little for niceties at the moment.  

With a pair of strong hands, Atem guided him into the desired position, onto his knees, and Yuugi could feel himself sinking a bit into the mattress. To be honest, Yuugi didn't even remember entering the bedroom; he must've been bewitched at some point, because one moment he was desperately trying to keep Atem at arm's length in the kitchen, and the next he was naked on Atem's bed with a slick finger pressing at his entrance, demanding access.

"I - uhhhh, _fuck."_

"You surprised me, Yuugi," Atem was saying, ignoring both his cursing and his squirming. "I thought you would've broken long before this. Though I suppose I should not be too surprised, given your stubborn nature."

Yuugi's response was a chorus of broken English, as Atem added another digit inside of him and began to stretch him open. 

"Tell me, did you miss this?"

_"Ahh - "_

Atem pushed his two fingers further inside of him, rougher this time. 

"That's not an answer."

"Atem, no, wait - I, _ohh god_." Yuugi clenched at the bed sheets, his knuckles white. "Please, I - "

Atem closed his eyes, basking in the string of whimpered words falling from those bow lips; in the sound of his name, both underlined and highlighted with hints of exhilaration. He could feel his growing need pulse between his legs.  

He listened ever-so-intently to the change of pitch in Yuugi's voice, as he removed his fingers to guide his lubricated cock in between Yuugi's cheeks, forcing the ring of muscles to part before him. Yuugi continued to spew filth through a cracked sob. "Oh my God, fuck _yes_ , Atem," he muttered desperately. "I.... _oh_. It feels _so good._ "

Atem felt a flare of jealousy in that moment, unexpected and unwarranted, but a brief burst of envy nonetheless, at the thought of another's name leaving Yuugi's mouth.

Annoyed at the fleeting emotion, Atem increased his pace, sinking into Yuugi again and again until the man beneath him was just a wiry mess of sweat and cries and tangled hair.  

Atem enjoyed fucking Yuugi like this; took additional pleasure in taking Yuugi on his knees. Hands wrapped unforgivingly around Yuugi's hips, it felt as though he wielded unequivocal control over the smaller body trembling beneath him; as though he owned the very moans and pants and pleas tumbling from Yuugi's parted mouth.

Atem's gaze fell to the curve of Yuugi's spine, the boy's skin flushed and pink like rose water. Slowing his pace a touch, Atem lowered his head to trail the tip of his tongue up the center of Yuugi's back, tasting him. Lifting his gaze, he caught sight of the raven curls brushing at Yuugi's shoulders with each thrust. Without hesitation, he reached forward and grabbed a fist full of the silky stands with one hand, his other remaining at Yuugi's hips. "No one will ever make you feel this good," Atem told him, voice think and heavy, his fingers pulling at the strands within their grasp as they fucked. "You realize this, don't you?"

"I know."

The answer was instant and was spoken only moments before Yuugi found his climax.

It was all Atem needed to hear to join Yuugi on the other side of bliss. 

When they fell apart, it was with deep intakes of breath and sweat-soaked skin. 

It wasn't until minutes later, after Atem's heart had calmed in his chest and his lungs had regained proper functioning, that he realized his left arm was looped under Yuugi's neck.

Yuugi seemed oblivious to this accidental contact, caught up as he was in his afterglow and, in the brief interlude that followed, Atem allowed himself to take notice of Yuugi's more subdued features - his one dimple, the rosy color dusting over his cheeks, the dark lashes that were way too long. 

Turning his head to gaze up at the ceiling, Atem slid his arm from underneath Yuugi's neck and let it fall over his stomach instead. Yuugi did not react, and Atem could feel Yuugi's body heat seeping into his skin, could hear the breaths beside him steadying. 

He could give this up, Atem thought to himself, as he, too, began to doze off. 

Without conscious thought, he shifted closer towards the heat beside him. 

 _It'll be easy_ , he reminded himself. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next few chapters will be more Atem-centric. character development and all. 
> 
> The reception of this story from you guys has truly been amazing, I thank you all! Comments/Kudos endlessly appreciated <3


	7. Everything is Just Right

Yuugi spent much of that weekend going back and forth in between his home and Atem's bed-sheets.

Neither man had many prior commitments scheduled, and both seemed content with spending their free time naked and flushed against one another. After all, given the last two weeks apart, there was a lot of sexual frustration, from both sides, that needed relieving. 

Friday and Saturday night were relatively status-quo. Arguing and fucking, followed by more of the same. 

It wasn't until Sunday evening that things went a bit off-script.  

It had begun, rather typically. Atem had drawn a bath for himself, a usual part of his self-care routine, and a specific ritual on Sunday nights, as it helped him start the work week feeling refreshed. He was not one for materialistic goods, but there were certain amenities that he went the extra mile for. Renovating his bathroom was one such project he invested heavily into, and he would argue until his dying breath that it was worth every penny.

His master bathroom was expansive, arguably the size of his bedroom, if not larger. Along with tiled floor and marble counter-tops, it included a glass-panel shower stall (the very one that Atem had pressed Yuugi's against many times now) and a large old-fashioned tub nestled in the leftmost corner. 

It was there that Atem was testing the temperature of the bath water with his fingertips, surrounded by the potted, exotic plants that decorated his bathroom. All in all, a typical start to his Sunday night routine, the exception being that this particular evening also included a bottle and a half of wine and a slightly inebriated Yuugi.

Atem enjoyed few things, loved even less things, but his bath time was most assuredly one of them. It was the piece of his week that he had carved out specifically so that he could bask in a mist of tranquility and calm, before returning to his very high stress job. 

But as Atem already knew, Yuugi was not a man of peaceful moments and quiet thoughts. 

He much rather experiment with Atem's extensive collection of bath bombs, so it seemed. 

Without Atem noticing (and against his explicit instruction), Yuugi added not one, but  _two_ of the colorful balls to the tub. The fragrance of both aloe waterlilly and wild cherry blossom blended together to create a very strong, though not quite overpowering, scent.

There were also now more bubbles than Atem's masculinity cared for. 

Yuugi seemed very amused by the situation as he stepped inside the tub, exhaling deep when the the hot water touched his skin. Slowly, he submerged himself, the water rising to settle above his stomach. His chest remained exposed to the steamy air circulating the bathroom. 

Meanwhile, Atem was very decidedly not amused. 

But then again, it was hard to stay angry when his mind was swimming with fine wine. Harder still when Yuugi was radiating a very pretty rosy hue, from both the water and the alcohol. There were small bubbles in his hair, and a liquid shine to his big, round eyes. 

Atem could still only describe them as being ridiculous in size. 

Settling in the opposite side of the tub, Atem allowed himself a moment of silence to indulge. He reveled in the heated water, and how it eased the tension in his neck and back. The blended scent from the bath bombs, though strong, was actually quite pleasant. He would not be admitting to that, however, in current company. 

The silence that encompassed them was brief, as Yuugi was in very high spirits this evening, which, apparently, made for a very talkative man. Atem figured his good nature was due to a combination of sweet wine, fantastic sex, and decent headway on a work project he was recently assigned.

His cheeks must've hurt, Atem thought absentmindedly, as Yuugi rambled on about his assignment, a stupid smile on his face that put an emphasis on his dimple.  

Atem certainly hadn't asked Yuugi for any details on the project, he honestly didn't care all that much about it, but... there was a lilt to Yuugi's voice, soft and silly, and Atem found that he liked the sound of it.   

Yuugi momentarily paused in his overview of his project to reach over and wrap his fingers around his wine glass, which had been waiting patiently on the tiled floor beside him. The deep red liquid swirled with the abrupt movement, and Yuugi, somehow both a clumsy and graceful drunk, spilled a tiny bit of wine into the bath water.

Yuugi offered Atem an apologetic _'whoops'_ in response to Atem's disapproving scowl, which only served to deepen said scowl. Deciding he needed to sweeten the apology, Yuugi reached forward and curled his free hand around Atem's forearm. He tugged him towards him gently.

Atem acquiesced to the younger man's silent request and, when Atem was close enough, Yuugi pressed his lips to the corner of his mouth. 

Atem responded after a moment, turning his head to meet Yuugi's lips, and raising an arm so that he could wrap a hand around Yuugi's neck, keeping him still. Their tongues met briefly, tasting one another. There was a slight quiver to Yuugi's body at the contact, Atem could feel the minuscule movement under his palm.  He used the leverage he had to further deepen their kiss, tilting his head to gain more access to the wonders of Yuugi's mouth. He parted only when he felt a slight tremble run up his own spine. 

Yuugi's cheeks were now colored a blunted scarlet, and Atem's cock stirred at the sight. 

Easing back to his side of the tub, Atem's hands found Yuugi's waist under the obscurity of the water's surface, and he pulled the younger man to him.  

It was only once Yuugi found himself in Atem's lap, knees pressed against the tub floor, that he placed his stemware back onto the tiles by the foot of the bath. With freed hands, Yuugi lifted his arms to wrap them around Atem's neck, his fingers finding their way into Atem's messy ebony strands, and when Yuugi kissed his face, Atem couldn't help but sigh in a semi-state of bliss.

He didn't mean for the deep exhale of air to escape his lungs.

It wasn't his fault though, he mused. 

His muscles were relaxed, his thoughts were still muddled with wine, and Yuugi's lips were pressed to his jaw.

It felt... nice. 

As things progressed as they typically did, Atem opted to use a bath oil as a lubricant to combat the resistance aggravated by the bath water. Atem let his head fall back, eyes closed, when Yuugi began to ease himself down onto his cock. There was a hitch in Yuugi's throat as Atem filled him, a single breath catching, and Atem lowered his hands then to rest instead on the top of Yuugi's thighs. 

And as Yuugi began to rock against him, Atem decided that this felt more than nice. 

It felt heavenly.  

 

* * *

 

Deed completed, once in the tub and again on Atem's bed, both men relocated to the kitchen at Yuugi's request. 

Atem rolled his eyes in response to Yuugi's outlandish remarks that he was 'starving' and 'on the brink of death' as he dug through Atem's pantry for an evening snack. 

Though initially disgruntled by Yuugi's invasion of his kitchen cabinets, Atem reluctantly let it go, since he, too, need sustenance after so much physical exertion.

That, and he supposed that after several orgasms, he was feeling a bit more tolerant of the other. 

He was also still a little bit drunk off of one too many glasses of wine. 

Glancing over at the remainder of their second bottle still sitting on one of the kitchen counter-tops, Atem gathered their discarded stemware from the other rooms and divided the rest of the bottle into their two empty glasses. His reasoning for finishing the bottle was simple. There wasn't quite enough left that he felt compelled to save it, but there was still too much left that dumping out the rest just seemed wasteful. So, he figured, why not finish the bottle? 

Yuugi accepted the refilled glass, and he placed it on the island, along with a plastic container of assorted fruits he had found in the fridge. 

Sitting on a stool at the island, his own glass of wine resting by his elbow, Atem reached for the still untouched morning paper he had thrown haphazardly onto the counter this morning with one hand, and a bundle of grapes with the other. Popping one of the green grapes into his mouth, he unfolded the crisp sheets of paper, holding the two outer edges in his hands, as he scanned the front page articles for anything of importance.

He was only one of two people he knew that still paid for a Sunday paper to be delivered to his door.

Most people their age got their news from their tablets or smartphones, and Atem both understood and appreciated the efficient nature of doing so. However, there was something nostalgic to him about unfolding a fresh newspaper, of feeling the paper crinkle under his fingers. 

"That's so domesticated of you," Yuugi said, a grin on his face. He plucked a strawberry from the fruit medley and brought the tip to his lips. 

Atem only grunted in response, and the dismissive reaction caused a spark of interest to light in Yuugi's semi-intoxicated gaze.

Leaning forward onto the island, Yuugi planted both elbows onto the counter, one fist balling under his chin, the other holding onto his half-eaten strawberry. He tilted his head, his lips pursed. "Do you like... ever smile?" he asked him. 

"Sometimes," Atem replied without looking up from the paper. 

"I don't believe you."

"I care so very little about what you believe."

Yuugi rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling, then took another bite of his strawberry. He discarded the remainder of the fruit that contained the tiny green leaves onto a paper plate beside him . "So, your face," Yuugi started again, refocusing on Atem, "it just always look like that then?"

It was with a slow, lethal precision that Atem lifted his eyes from the article he was reading to meet Yuugi's gaze, peering up at Yuugi from underneath a shadow cast by his bangs.

If he was unamused before, then he was almost assuredly exasperated now. 

Yuugi though, forever obtuse and asinine, only responded by making a dramatic frown, as if trying to mimic Atem's expression.

After a moment of consideration, Atem opted for returning his attention back to his paper.

It was probably for the best to not speak his thoughts at the moment. 

"Are you like this at work, too?" Yuugi continued on, unfazed and almost entirely unaware of Atem's irritation. "A hard-ass that never smiles, never loosens up? The kind of boss that bites everyone's heads off for even the smallest of mistakes?"

"If you're asking whether I like to be productive at work, and whether I expect the same from my staff, then the answer is yes," Atem said tonelessly, as he continued to read. 

Yuugi finished another strawberry, then leaned away from Atem, elbows coming off the counter as he shifted his weight back to his feet. "That sucks," he said simply. "They must be miserable."

"You have an unmatched flair for the dramatic, Yuugi." Atem glanced up at him. " My staff are paid - quite nicely, may I add - to complete their tasks in an efficient and timely manner. I am not there to be their friend, but their superior." Atem put down his paper on the counter and raised his chin. "Though I suppose you give out participation trophies to your staff just for showing up? A gold star, perhaps?"

Yuugi blew air from his mouth, making a dismissive sound. "I don't have staff, I have _one_ assistant. And all I'm saying is that, in my experience, people respond better to constructive criticism and positive feedback, then they do fear and intimidation."

"Tell that to Seto Kaiba."

"I'm telling it to you," Yuugi picked up his wine glass, taking a sip. "It's hard to get things done when you're walking on pins and needles all the time," he added. "And I'm not saying you need to plan their baby showers or anything. Just... I don't know, give them space to breathe sometimes. Maybe show them you appreciate their work a little bit. You'd be surprised with how well people respond to a little praise."

"Hn." Atem didn't necessarily agree, nor did he really have any interest in continuing this conversation. "Why do you care how I run my department?" he asked, picking back up his newspaper. He searched for the place he left off. 

"I guess, when it comes down to it, I really don't." Yuugi shrugged a loose shoulder. "I think I was just curious as to whether you exuded anything other than frustration and general disinterest in a different setting."

Atem frowned a bit at his newspaper.

There was a pause.

"I show irritation, too."

Yuugi faltered and nearly dropped his wine glass.

If not for some stellar reflexes, the stemware would've surely smashed into pieces on Atem's stainless floor, and he would've most likely been put out on the street for the transgression.

He thought little of the _almost_ mishap though, his eyes comically wide as he stared down at the still seated man.

"Was that... " Yuugi bent down just a bit, so that he could peer up at Atem. "Was that a joke?" he asked. "Do you... actually have a sense of humor?"

Atem brought his glass of wine to his lips with one hand. There was a tiny tic in his cheek. "Maybe," he said, then he finished his wine. He returned the glass down onto the counter, along with the newspaper, since it was clear he wasn't going to get any actual reading accomplished with Yuugi around. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" Atem questioned him. "Far away from here maybe?"

A scowl twisted at Yuugi's pink lips. But then, his gaze became thoughtful, and he looked elsewhere. "I could stop by Anzu's. She's been.... pretty down in the dumps this week."

Atem was equally aware of this, as Anzu had informed their close group that she was going through a less-than-ideal breakup with her long-distance boyfriend. "She has," Atem concurred. "But she also told us that she wanted some space for a few days."

"I mean, I know she said that," Yuugi replied, gazing back at Atem. "But sometimes people say things like that, because they're scared of being a burden to their friends. I just want to make sure she knows that she's not a burden, and that I'm here for her."

Atem inclined his head, a brow raising. "She already knows that. And more to the point, when someone tells you what they need or what they want, you should respect that. She asked for space. What makes you think you know better than her what she needs right now?"

Yuugi frowned, albeit thoughtfully. "I mean, I don't. I just thought she could use a shoulder to cry on, but.... Hmm, okay fair. I didn't think about it like that." Yuugi rolled his shoulders. "I just hate it when my friends are sad, all I want to do is help them in any way I can. It makes me feel better, like I'm being useful. But... I guess that's a bit selfish in itself, huh?" Yuugi chuckled a bit, still good-humored. 

Atem wasn't sure if it was the boy's drunken rambles, his tilted smile, or if it was the fact that Yuugi, for the second time now, was admitting to an (albeit tiny) fault of his, but quite suddenly Atem was overcome with the realization that Yuugi was... quite sweet.

In a sort of intrusive, overbearing kind of way, but sweet nonetheless.

The man cared a lot, and he just didn't seem to know what to do with all of it.

He couldn't compartmentalize like Atem could, which annoyed Atem, but it also made Yuugi more authentic in a way; more genuine. 

Atem stood to his feet and leveled Yuugi with a quiet gaze.

"You know, if you just fixed -" With an open hand, Atem rolled his wrist towards him," - this, you wouldn't be so insufferable all the time."

"You just gestured to all of me."

Atem gazed down at the spotless kitchen floor, his lips pursed, and only then could Yuugi see it. 

The man was fighting back a smile.

"You _jerk!"_ Yuugi shouted, outraged but in a playful kind of way.

Atem chuckled, unintentionally at first, but then with more purpose when Yuugi started laughing, too.

The moment was short-lived, however, both men sobering up quickly. Their thoughts fell along the same line, both realizing almost simultaneously that they never really... laughed together?

Around each other, sure - they shared the same group of friends, after all. 

But never really... _with_ each other. 

Atem felt the mood in the room shift, but he couldn't put a name to what exactly it had shifted to. 

It wasn't tense, per say.

It was just... different. 

"Your laugh..." Atem said abruptly, trying to fill the silence, as he was finding himself increasingly uncomfortable in the brief lull that followed. "It's..." soft? delicate? reminiscent of clear-skied Sunday mornings when families actually ate breakfast together and read the newspaper at the table?  "...not ugly."

Atem audibly winced. Yeah, he was clearly too drunk for this, and he needed to go lie down. He felt out of sorts, very suddenly, and not at all like his usual, composed self. It unnerved him that he felt so out of place in his own home.

"Oh my _God,_ that's the best you can do?" Yuugi was laughing again then, seemingly unbothered by Atem's words. With a small bounce in his steps, he rounded the island stationed in the middle of the kitchen and stepped towards Atem, a smile still on his face. "You know, I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me," he said, placing one fingertip to Atem's chest once he was close enough to do so. "You are one smooth talker."

Atem shrugged, coughing in his throat, as he pulled himself together.  "Seems good enough to get you into bed," he said with unearned confidence. 

"Shut up, Atem." But still, Yuugi's voice held a bit of humor in it, and then something a little heavier. Yuugi took another small step towards him, bringing his mouth to Atem's. "By the way, I think your laugh is nice, too. I'd like to hear more of it," he breathed against his lips. 

Yuugi was close enough that Atem could see the blue violets of his eyes and could smell the mix of scents from their bath. There was a curve to Yuugi's cheeks that Atem oddly wanted to trail his fingertips over. "Unlikely," he said instead, his hands finding Yuugi's hips. He squeezed. "I only get to do it once a year. Anything more requires a human sacrifice."

Yuugi leaned away then, appearing startled. He blinked at him a few times.

A moment passed. 

And then a brilliant smile broke out on Yuugi's face, and Atem's heart stammered.

Yuugi was truly stunning, just bright eyes and curves, and Atem had no idea how he had missed that fact all these years. What he did know was that there was a noticeable bubble of apprehension in his gut, and he didn't like the feeling _at all._

He imagined his discomfort showed on his face, because suddenly Yuugi's smile dropped, and he stepped back from him. Atem's hands fell from his waist at the distance. 

Looking down at the floor, Yuugi raised a hand to scratch at the base of his head. "Uh, I should go," Yuugi spoke the words quietly. "It's getting late, and I have a long day tomorrow."

Atem couldn't really keep up with how fast the atmosphere around them kept changing, but he was certainly very grateful for Yuugi's imminent departure, since it was clearly too hard for him to think straight with Yuugi around right now.

The wine wasn't helping. 

He really didn't need that last glass. 

"Do you need me to call you a ride?" Atem asked him, equally quiet.  

Yuugi waved him off, taking another step back. "Don't worry about it, I got it. I just need to go grab my things." He tilted his head, honey strands curling around his cheekbones. "See you around?" 

There was a hesitation, as Atem wasn't sure if he could trust himself to speak. He didn't want his words to betray him again.

So he simply nodded.

He watched as Yuugi exited the kitchen, but he didn't really move until he heard the front door open and close a few minutes later. 

He was suddenly very relieved.

... Mostly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, so like.  
> they're basically dating.  
> like definitely in a relationship, with the caveat that neither of them realizes it.  
> they still think this is just about sex.  
> it's actually kind of hilarious. 
> 
> anyways, tell me your thoughts, i love to hear them and talk to you guys in the comment section!


	8. Make It Happen

The following week was one molded from the most exquisite corner of hell. 

On any given day, Atem would describe his job as quite taxing, though, as the Contracts Administration Director of Kaiba Corp., he had never held onto the expectation that it would be anything but. Still, he liked the work, in addition to the sense of accomplishment that came with being able to juggle job responsibilities that many before him had been crushed under the weight of.

This week, however, was the first time in the nearly two years he had held the position that he questioned whether he would come out on the other side mentally unscathed. 

A multi-million contract with GS Inc., an established and profitable company that dealt solely in the marketing and sales of games and consoles, was due to expire at the end of the month and, as of yet, Atem had been unable to persuade them to renew their contract at the same terms. 

Nearly a decade ago, when the initial contract had been drafted, the company had readily agreed to the terms set forth by Kaiba Corp without hesitation. This contract allowed them to carry and sell Duel Disks - a sophisticated gaming device developed by Kaiba Corp. that used holographic software to project images based on the beloved children's card game, Duel Monsters. When these devices had been first released, they were the first of their kind, and they flew off the shelves faster than stores could restock them. Companies such as GS Inc. rushed to partner with Kaiba Corp., which guaranteed them a steady supply of Duel Disks on a specified basis. These companies would then turn around and sell their inventory at an up-charge in their stores for a hefty profit. 

With the contract now expiring, however, GS Inc. had voiced their concerns of decreasing sales. They argued that the interest in the device and the card game it supported had significantly decreased since the signing of the original contract and, while they were still interested in extending their contract with Kaiba Corp., they were seeking to purchase the devices in bulk at a lower price to compensate for decreasing sales. 

There was one problem that made this a particularly stressful situation for Atem, and that was that he knew, more than he knew the earth was round and Yuugi was short, that Kaiba would not agree to lower the price.

The CEO simply didn't negotiate. The word alone seemed to offend him. 

With that in mind, if Atem did not find a way to convince GS Inc. to agree to the same terms, then the contract would simply be lost and many Kaiba Corp. employees would find their jobs on the line. 

Not him, of course. 

No, Atem knew that he had some semblance of job security, as much as one could working for Seto Kaiba. 

For one, the CEO didn't have the time nor the patience to hire a new department lead. It also helped that Atem was both efficient at his job and rarely bothered him, two qualities Kaiba sincerely coveted in his employees.

And though it was true that there was no love lost between the two men, there did exist a mutual respect for one another, which was the closest Kaiba would ever come to being friends with another person. 

So whereas Atem was unlikely to face dire consequences for losing this contract, he knew others would not be so fortunate. 

Stepping outside of his office, Atem entered the large common area where his assistants sat at their respective desks. The carpet underneath him was a dark blue, the walls around him a plain white, and the lights above a bright florescent to keep his workers alert and productive. The desks of his assistants were spread out among the space, and there was a round, white table in the center of the room, where his assistants would take their coffee breaks. A Keurig sat on a thin table pressed up against the far wall, a collection of K-Cups sitting in a basket next to it. 

His three assistants were scattered around the space - one at his desk; one standing by the filing cabinet, searching through a folder in her hand; and the last typing on her laptop at the round table.

And though Atem ran a department of nearly fifty-six employees, these three were his primary staff. 

Jaden had been with him the longest and acted as his official secretary. Atem's appointments, meetings, flights, work finances, all went through him and, on the days Jaden excelled at his job, Atem barely had to interact with another person. He was a man his age, with nut brown hair and eyes that matched. Despite Atem's curt nature at work, Jaden nearly always presented with a bright affect and friendly disposition, greeting Atem every morning with the same perky, upbeat smile. 

Rebecca was Atem's designated administrative assistant. She was the youngest of the three, but had a fierce intelligence and professionalism about her that Atem appreciated. She was an attractive young woman with buttery blond hair and ocean blue eyes, but she was strictly no nonsense - all work and no play. She never tried to strike up a conversation with him that wasn't work-related or pry into Atem's life outside of work like many others did in the name of 'small talk'. Out of all of the workers in his department, she was a personal favorite of his. The woman was organized to a fault - her color coding and filing system of contracts and pertinent documents bordering on an OCD-level of tidiness. 

Atem had never quite witnessed someone self-implode the way she did when she had somehow misplaced invoices he needed a few weeks ago for a meeting. She had spent the last month since then overhauling her entire organizational system, starting from scratch to make an improved version of the current one. The woman had absolutely no chill. 

Lastly, there was Miho, the most recent addition out of the three. Though her official title was a bit convoluted, Miho essentially aided Rebecca and Jaden in performing their duties, and thus had the ability to cover for either role if Rebecca or Jaden were out of the office for either personal or work reasons. The tall woman had more unique features than his other two assistants, with dyed bluish hair that ran to her waist and eyes that were similar to Yuugi's, though not quite as stupidly large. After her hire, she had toned her hair to a deeper shade in an effort to fit in with the more professional culture. She was still learning the ropes, but she was both eager to learn and eager to please, which, Atem would argue, came with both its pros and cons. Regardless, she seemed to be giving her best effort, which, at the end of the day, was important to Atem. He had gone through enough assistants in his two years here to recognize early which ones had the tenacity to tough it out. His current three certainly had that potential. 

"Oh, hey there, boss," Jaden greeted him when he noticed Atem lingering in the common space. His desk was situated the closest to his office door. "What do you need? Anything I can get you?"

Atem turned his head to look at the fair-skinned man, sitting behind an oak desk with a clean, white button-up shirt that mirrored his own. Both Rebecca and Miho were watching him now, too, his presence having been registered by all the occupants in the room. 

"Have any of you found anything useful? Numbers, figures, data. Anything that I can use to argue why GS Inc. needs to sign a new contract with the same terms. "

The edges of Rebecca's lips bled into a frown. "We've been looking all morning," she said, her lighter features standing out against her black blazer and slacks. "But so far nothing substantial."

"We're sorry, Mr. Sennen," Miho added, donned in a neutral-colored dress, "but - "

"I don't need apologies, I need you all to do your jobs," Atem said, cutting her off. "Is that understood?"

The room fell quiet. 

Rebecca was the first to speak again. "Understood, Mr. Sennen. We will keep searching." 

"Good." Atem turned back towards his office, his hand against the door, pushing it open. "Keep me informed of your progress."

The office door closed behind him with an audible _click_ , effectively ending the conversation. Crossing the length of his office, Atem glanced outside at the city down below. His office was unnecessarily large with floor-to-ceiling windows; rather extravagant for his tastes. Atem didn't think it was necessary he need to run a 5K to get from his office door to his desk, but Kaiba cared very little for his personal grievances. 

Rounding his desk, Atem lowered himself onto the cushioned chair and picked up one of the many folders on his desk. He thumbed through the stack of papers within, scanning each one briefly before moving on. He needed something that would help his case, but the recent numbers supported what GS Inc. had reported to them. Though Duel Disks were a sensation when they first entered the market, the newest generation of children seemed to be gravitating towards other forms of entertainment that didn't involve card games. It was challenging to argue against facts, Atem loathed to do so, which is why he needed something else to convince GS Inc. to invest in a product that simply wasn't as popular or profitable anymore. 

With a muted curse, Atem dropped the folder back onto his desk and laid his head back against his chair. He was frustrated, at both this seemingly unwinnable cause and at the little voice nagging him in the recesses of his mind. His conscience, he presumed.

Though he didn't know why, the voice sounded awfully like Yuugi, reprimanding him for being too harsh with his staff. 

Atem rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and glared at one of the tiles above him. There was nothing wrong with making his expectations clear. At no point did he hurl any insults, nor did he seek to demoralize his staff, like a certain CEO did. Telling a room full of adults to carry out their job duties wasn't something that should be met with criticism. 

He didn't do anything wrong, he reminded himself, both then and that night, when that same stupid little voice resurfaced right before bed. 

It was gone by the next morning though, and Atem, with his tumbler of coffee in one hand and briefcase in the other, walked into the imposing glass building that was Kaiba Corp. headquarters with a clear head. It was a quiet walk and ascension to his floor, as the mornings typically were since Atem had always been one of the first to arrive, arguably at an obscene hour. 

Imagine his surprise then when he came across his three assistants, all gathered around the circular office table, talking animatedly. Judging by the several used K-Cups littering the far table, they had been here for a while now. 

"Good morning, Mr. Sennen." Miho noticed him first and greeted with a tired smile. "We have good news."

Atem inclined his head, a silent acknowledgement for her to continue. He did not move to put down his tumbler or briefcase. 

"So, it took a ton of brainstorming, but we finally came up with a great idea!" Jaden cut in, seemingly unable to tamper his excitement. 

Atem refrained from sighing. Ideas didn't exactly pay his mortgage.

"We went back through the ten years of data Kaiba Corp. has kept on file since the initial release of Duel Disks." It was Rebecca who was speaking now. "As expected, demand for the devices peaked those first few years after its launch, but has since steadily been declining. However, what we've managed to put together is that the drop in numbers has very little to do with the functionality or enjoyment of the actual Duel Disks. It almost is entirely due to the fading interest in the card game the device supports, Duel Monsters. See, many of the children and adolescents who grew up on the card game are adults now and have since lost interest. And then, of course, this upcoming generation has an array of flashy consoles and gadgets to choose from that weren't available when Duel Disks first came onto the market ten years ago. These factors are the primary reason for the record-low sales being reported as of late."

Atem listened without interruption, listened quietly and carefully, but still he found himself utterly unimpressed. He could've deduced as much, but he couldn't fathom how this helped them at all. If anything, it strengthened GS Inc.'s argument for revised terms. "How does this help us?" he asked outright.

Jaden perked up again. "Well, you see, since Kaiba Corp. has a long-standing partnership with the developer of the card game, Industrial Illusions, we drafted and submitted a proposal to the head of operations for them to roll out limited edition first generation cards, completely revamped. We're talking new art, new designs, the works."

"Nostalgia is a powerful tool," Miho went on to explain. "It's strong, it's something that pulls at people's heart strings, makes people do things or buy things without much rational, even if those things are considered outdated, because it connects them to a fond memory or time," she said, and Atem was briefly reminded of the rustle the newspaper would make when his father unfolded it at the kitchen table every Sunday morning. "All of the adults who grew up on the game will want to get their hands on these for their nostalgic factor alone. Not to mention anything branded 'limited edition' always gets everyone in a frenzy. You also have to consider the ripple effect, as now you'll have these adults who are sharing this nostalgic experience with their children, which will renew youth interest in the game. This all will, in turn, create a major boosts in sales for Duel Disks given that they are still the only device on the market to support the game due to Industrial Illusions' exclusive contract with Kaiba Corp." 

"And we just heard back from Industrial Illusions fifteen minutes ago," Jaden said, clicking away at his portable laptop. "They forwarded the proposal to the CEO, Maxmillian Pegasus himself.... and he _loved_ it. They approved the funds to begin development and will send us a deadline for when they expect the first wave to launch."

Atem stood quietly, as he processed. Then, he walked closer towards the table and, placing his briefcase on the floor, took the blue folder Rebecca was holding out to him. He read through the first few papers lying within silently. 

He looked up at his assistants. "This is good work," he said. His words were followed by a wave of audible exhales. "Forward all of this to me, in a PDF. I want the head of operations for Industrial Illusions on the phone within the hour, and a field study performed  _today_ on how this product will be received by the general public. I will need that report by tomorrow. I need actual numbers to back up our claim that this will result in a significant and sustainable increase in sales. Make it happen."

"Yes, sir," the three said in near unison. 

Atem bent at the knee, leaning down to grasp onto his suitcase handle, before straightening again. He made to turn towards his office, but stopped halfway. The voice had returned, in the back of his head, but it sounded more like... his own this time. 

"I know there's been a lot of changes recently," Atem began to say, pivoting to face his staff again. "Between the recent department merger and the reconfigured software and company database, it's been a hectic month. And I realize that it's going to take some time to adjust. Understand that this is not to be used as an excuse for not performing your job diligently... this is simply an acknowledgement that things have been more challenging as of late. That being said... I appreciate the work you all do."  

When his small speech concluded, Atem turned and started towards his office. 

There was a beat of silence, before a chorus of  _"Thank you, Mr. Sennen!"_ followed after him. 

 

* * *

 

Atem knocked on the formidable door before him, only once. It was both strong and striking, crafted from the finest cherry wood. 

"This better be important," a voice said evenly from within, granting him entry. 

Atem pushed the door open, his shoulders squared and posture a regal straight. "It is," he said, taking a step into the grand office, which was large enough to house a small family. But instead of a family, a lone man occupied the space, sitting behind an array of monitors and screens. His fingers were still moving at lightening speed across a keyboard, even as the man's eyes raised to pin him with a blue gaze sharp enough to cut diamonds.

"Well, I don't pay you to talk to me, so make it quick and get back to work." 

Seto Kaiba was a man of little patience, an imposing figure who cared more for the wrinkles in his long coats than he did the well-being of others. His face was made up of sharp edges and framed by a cropped mane of chestnut. He was a king of an empire, and he both acted and looked the part. 

Atem cared little for kings though. 

"The GS Inc. contract is expiring," Atem said, coming to stand at the edge of Kaiba's desk. There weren't any chairs to sit on, because Kaiba did not want to encourage people to outstay their welcome in his office. "They want to negotiate terms to re-sign."

"I don't negotiate."

"You don't need to, I already took care of it." Atem's tone was balanced, if not mundane. "I just need you to sign off on the proposed terms. It's already been emailed to you - "

"Enough." At once, the contract was exported from his email and expanded on one of Kaiba's many screens. The CEO read the nearly fifty page contract at the speed of a high-level genius. After a few minutes, Kaiba glanced up at him, his gaze leveled. "You negotiated terms at a higher rate than the previous contract?" At Atem's nod, Kaiba smirked. "How did a slacker like yourself manage that?"

Atem brushed the insult off his shoulders like dust. "I am good at my job," he said simply. "So are my assistants."

Kaiba sneered, as if unimpressed. "Yeah, well, I have work to do, and your lingering presence is costing me money."

Atem raised a curious brow. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that money can't solve _all_ your problems?" he asked.

Kaiba snorted. "Whoever said that must not have had enough money to solve them." Icy blue eyes returned to a monitor. "Now get out, before I fire you."

Officially dismissed, Atem left the CEO's office with no rush or urgency in his steps. When he returned to the common area right outside his office, he noted that his assistants had all gone home for the day. After much internal debate, Atem had told them to take the following Monday off as well as a reward for a job well done. Atem supposed he would also call it a day, the time now nearing 7:30pm. Though he'd never show it to Kaiba or his staff, he was utterly exhausted.

So much so that he almost missed the golden rectangular box sitting on the white round table in the middle of the room. Lifting an eyebrow, Atem approached the table and picked up the little card resting neatly atop the box. 

" _We all chipped in. The chocolate is dairy-free! Enjoy! - Jaden, Rebecca, and Miho_

Putting aside the card, Atem raised the lid cautiously, peering at the contents.

Strawberries?

Chocolate-covered strawberries? 

Atem lowered the lid and re-read the card. Dairy-free? Atem briefly thought back on his interactions with his staff, but couldn't recall ever telling any of them that he ate an entirely plant-based diet. He spoke so very little of his personal life, he wasn't sure when it would've come up. Maybe they noticed on their own? Perhaps after walking in on him eating lunch at his desk one too many times, they guessed? Or maybe because he always declined when others would order pizza or cold-cuts for the office?

Atem wasn't sure, but however it came to be, he had to admit that it was a very... thoughtful gesture. 

Gathering his other belongings, Atem packed the box of strawberries into the car, placing it on top of the passenger seat, and began his route home. It had been an excruciatingly long week. His muscles were stiff, his brain was struggling to keep up, and he was in desperate need of a recharge.

Atem glanced at the boxed desserts next to him, his mind wandering. An image of Yuugi biting into strawberries, of smiling at him with his silly drunk grin, flashed through his thoughts. He wondered if Yuugi liked chocolate-covered strawberries, if maybe the younger man would appreciate these more than he would. He glanced at the clock on his dashboard.  

Yuugi's place was on the way to his house anyways, and it was Friday night... perhaps he could stop by to see what Yuugi was up to. And if he liked the re-gifted fruit, maybe Yuugi would thank him in more ways than one.

Not even ten minutes later, Atem found himself outside of the familiar blue house with the white porch. He parked on the street, by the curb, and made his way down the pathway and up the two steps to Yuugi's front door.  

He lifted a hand, poised to knock and, to his surprise, the door opened before his knuckles ever met the frame. 

Yuugi stood before him, positively startled. 

"Christ, Atem," Yuugi blurted out, a hand rising to rest over his heart. "You scared me." 

There was something about seeing Yuugi after such a stressful week, something that was almost comforting to his fatigued mind. There existed a familiarity between them, a touch of affinity that had never been there before. 

Atem pushed the feeling away. "Sorry," he muttered in response to Yuugi's alarm. "I was on my way home and -  "

"What's that?"

Yuugi's gaze was honed in on the rectangular box tucked under his arm. Atem pulled it into his hands and held it out to him. "Strawberries. A small gift from my staff, but I thought you might enjoy them more than I would."

Yuugi paused, his expression bemused. Hesitantly, he reached out for the box, as though not entirely convinced he wasn't about the end up on the receiving end of a prank. Lifting the lid carefully, he peeked inside.

His eyes lit up. "Oh, and they're dipped in chocolate? This is like my guilty pleasure, I love these!" Yuugi's excitement was fleeting though and left him the moment he glanced back up to meet Atem's scarlet gaze. A flush filled his cheeks, a wave of self-consciousness washing over him. "Uh, thanks..." he said, quieter now. "This is..."

"Don't mention it." 

Yuugi looked like he wanted to say something else, but there was a degree of reluctance in his features. He almost looked contrite, and only then did Atem notice how well-dressed the man was for 8:00pm at night. Yuugi was wearing a long-sleeved, blue button-up shirt, and dark jeans that hugged his legs in a way that made him look taller. His hair was more tamed, too. Styled, and not at all like the wild hair Atem was used to seeing when they were pressed against each other in bed. 

Atem was able to piece it all together rather quickly. "You're... going out."

It wasn't a question, but Yuugi knew he had to answer anyways. "Yeah..." the younger man eventually mumbled, his gaze dropping to the pretty box in his hand. He glanced back up at Atem after a moment. "But I could - "

"No." There was tightness in Atem's voice that matched that of the one in his chest. He took a small step back, out of Yuugi's space, where everything smelled like night rain and jasmine. "Sorry, I shouldn't have just shown up like this."

Yuugi seemed surprised at the apology, and there was a pause, as though he wasn't sure how to respond. Atem found himself uneasy under the pensive violet-tinted gaze. 

"Anyways," Atem mumbled, taking another step back, feeling even more tired than before. He spun on his feet, preparing to leave. "Have a good night."

"Wait, Atem, I... "

When Atem turned halfway to look back at him, he noticed Yuugi's hand was reaching out towards him, his slender fingers curled as if Yuugi had tried to grab at his arm. Atem glanced from Yuugi's outstretched hand to Yuugi's face, waiting. 

But whatever Yuugi wanted to say seemed to vanish the moment their eyes met and, after a few seconds, Yuugi let his hand drop back to his side and looked away. "Uh, thanks again," Yuugi murmured, lifting the box up a little. "This was really nice of you."

Atem shrugged off his gratitude. "Seriously, it's nothing," he said. "See you later." 

Atem descended the stairs of his porch without another word, and Yuugi watched him go with quiet eyes. There was a sting, lingering in his chest. For a reason he couldn't put into words, the encounter left an awful taste in his mouth. He felt guilty, and then he felt angry at himself for feeling guilty, because he wasn't doing anything wrong. 

They had talked about this.

Atem was fine with it.

More than that, Atem had said in no uncertain terms that he _didn't care_. 

With a frustrated sigh, Yuugi retreated back inside his home to put Atem's gift into the fridge, as to not spoil. He felt very silly then, that a box _of fruit_ would elicit so many conflicting emotions from him. And yet, Yuugi couldn't deny that he was both touched and confused by the kind gesture.  

Atem was many things - ruthlessly intelligent and awfully prideful. Sex was the man's craft, and he was wonderfully skilled at it, but he was also a dismissive and judgmental jerk. 

So, for Atem to display even this tiny degree of thoughtfulness towards him... it conflicted with the type of man Yuugi had ascribed Atem to be. 

He supposed Atem could've just passed it along as a useless gift that he didn't want... but it just didn't feel that way.

There was something about the way Atem had looked at him when he first opened the door, something in his usually unyielding gaze that seemed almost amenable. And it bothered Yuugi more than it should've, because, above all else, Yuugi was painfully aware of the fact that he had actually _missed_ Atem this week. They hadn't seen each other since Sunday night, when they parted on rather abrupt terms after Yuugi realized just how much he had admired the baritone of Atem's laugh or how nice it felt when the man held him close to him.

Yuugi had appreciated the bit of space between them since then, as it gave him time to snap out of it and remember that he was dealing with a man who he knew cared very little for him. 

But now that same man had showed up at his doorstep with sweets and a subdued look in his eyes, and Yuugi could barely keep the relief that threatened to fill him at bay, at simply sharing the same space as Atem again.

A sudden burst of annoyance blossomed in his chest.

He didn't know why he was turning such a tiny act of kindness into an existential crisis, but he was over it. 

 _Atem doesn't care,_ Yuugi reminded himself, because it was important that he not forget it. 

With that in mind, Yuugi exited his front door again and made his way to his car. 

He had a date to get to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. shout-out to the anime and their children's card game.  
> 2\. this is the first chapter of this entire fic so far that does not involve Yuugi & Atem getting it on. Crazy, I know, but y'know, character development.  
> 3\. in this universe, the Duel Disks are essentially as widespread and well-known as Playstations and X-Boxs. I really didn't want to delve too deep into the background of Atem's boring ass job, as that's not relevant to the story, but the gist of it is that's its a big deal, a mountain of work, and quite a stressful position to maintain.


	9. Things They Don't Really Mean

The bar was surprisingly quiet for a Friday evening, and Yuugi briefly wondered if there was a home game scheduled for tonight at the nearby stadium. He wasn't big into sports himself; he still had a bad association from his schoolyard days, when his lack of both height and coordination resulted in being picked last for teams. But the city prided itself on its all-star football team, and the home games drew in lively crowds and flocks of prideful fans. They flooded the stadium in droves and, when all the seats were accounted for, the overflow poured into surrounding sports bars to watch the game on overhead flat-screen TVs with discount pitchers of beer. 

This was not one such bar though. 

This one was quaint, their wine and beer selection rather limited, but the somber color scheme and dim overhead lighting gave the place a cozy feel. Yuugi was grateful for that, and for the quiet chatter of patrons. There was music playing, somewhere from above, with no lyrics, only melodies and soft beats, and Yuugi found the whole environment quite comforting. His forearms on the bar, he fingered the coaster under his beer, bending it at the corners, distractedly.

He was nearly halfway through his golden ale when he asked to see a food menu. He wasn't actually all that hungry, but he figured it would give himself something else to do; a half-assed attempt to keep his mind off everything.  

He had been paying very little to his surroundings, engrossed in his discordant thought process, and so he jumped, startled, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. 

"You look like someone who needs to talk," the person said as a way of greeting. 

Yuugi spun halfway on his bar stool, twisting his head to face the newcomer.

He was met with warm dark eyes and an easy smile. 

"Ryou," Yuugi breathed, and his shoulders sagged, relieved to see a friendly face. "What are you doing here?"

"I was actually here to pick up some food," Ryou answered, settling onto the stool next to him. His long, colorless hair was swept up in a tie, resting at the base of his head. "They have excellent pasta dishes here, and I didn't feel much like cooking tonight." Ryou eyed him then, a healthy amount of skepticism forcing him to squint. "More importantly, what are _you_ doing here? I thought you had a date tonight."

"Oh, yeah, I did." Yuugi scratched the back of his head. His cheeks reddened. "It's already over," he admitted, with a small sigh. 

Ryou pointedly glanced at the thin, blue watch on his wrist. "But it's only 9:30?"

"Yeah, uh." Yuugi looked down at his drink, finding something particularly interesting about it then. "It didn't last very long," he said.   

Ryou was quiet for a moment.

Then, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Yuugi opened his mouth to decline the kind invitation, but the words that left him weren't the dismissal they were supposed to be. "He was actually really sweet. Not to mention, absolutely gorgeous."

"Oh, I'm aware." To Yuugi's raised brow, Ryou clarified. "You forget that I work with him, too. Let's just say that Ryuji has quite a few admirers at the office. He's a real stand-up guy, though." The bartender approached the conversing pair, interrupting to ask Ryou if he wanted a drink. His gaze flickered to Yuugi's beer, still half full. He ordered a glass of chardonnay. "So," Ryou said, returning his attention to Yuugi, "what happened?"

"Uhh, I just..." Yuugi bit his bottom lip, his eyes still on his drink. The condensation from the glass wet his fingertips. "I was distracted. Like, not really present or engaged in what he was saying, and I think he could tell. I must've apologized about a dozen times, but... I ended up telling him that I just wasn't in a good place to be dating anyone right now."

Yuugi peeked over at Ryou then, his lips pursing. The other man was a delightful human being, and Yuugi considered them friends, but they weren't necessarily close, given Ryou's only recent addition to the group. Still, perhaps the man could offer him some guidance. After all, Yuugi had spent the better part of the night stuck on a problem of his own making, his thoughts running in circles around him, and he was in desperate need of a kind soul to point him in the right direction. 

"Hey, can I talk to you about something? Uh, something private?"

Ryou didn't miss a beat. "Of course," he replied, a gentle curve to his lips. "I'll have you know that I am an excellent confidant."

Yuugi returned the smile, comforted by Ryou's discretion. But his smile fell soon after, as he went about trying to explain his predicament, while also keeping certain details vague. "So, there's actually this guy... uh, you don't know him, but we've been... seeing each other. I don't know, it's complicated. Though it wasn't supposed to be." Yuugi tried not to fumble over his words, but the cluster of thoughts that had been muddling his brain for the last hour were fighting to be heard all at once. "We had both agreed to a really casual, no-strings-attached kind of deal." He pushed his arms off the bar and fell back against his chair. "But... it just felt weird being on a date. Like... it was wrong of me, somehow."

Ryou nodded along thoughtfully as Yuugi spoke. When his friend finished, Ryou reached for his glass and took a sip of his wine. He lowered the stemware back down onto the bar.

"Do you love him?" he asked then.  

Yuugi, who was also sipping at his own drink, spit the beer in his mouth back into his glass. "Whoa, whoa, _whoa,_  slow down there." Yuugi laughed awkwardly, wiping at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "I don't even know if I _like_ him sometimes," he asserted, and he found the veracity of that statement actually kind of funny.   

"Well," Ryou continued without pause. "Does he like you?"

"No. No? I don't think so. I don't know." Yuugi frowned. "No."

Ryou took another sip of his wine, a single brow lifting to hide underneath his ashen bangs. "Is that your final answer?" he inquired. 

Despite the sheer volume of doubt and uncertainty tugging at the very seams that held him together, Yuugi chuckled a bit at that. "Uh, I guess I'm not sure. He has made it pretty clear that this is a purely physical arrangement though." Yuugi hesitated, seeming to want to say more, but unsure if he should. 

Ryou heard the pause and supplied him with the nudge he needed to continue. _"But?"_

"But," Yuugi repeated, and he lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug, "sometimes, I get these glimpses of a man who does care a tiny bit, who looks at me like maybe he does like me? But then I also think that maybe I've been attaching more meaning to things than I should because I've been really..." Yuugi tensed a bit, his jaw hardening.

It was hard for him to admit this out loud. 

"Lonely," he finished, quieter.  

It meant a lot to Yuugi that Ryou didn't look at him any differently, that his eyes remained understanding and absent of any pity at his confession.

"Have you ever heard of Love Languages?" Ryou asked him, rather abruptly. 

Yuugi blinked at him, confused by the question. "Uh, no, I don't think so. Why?"

"The whole concept is based on a pretty popular theory, suggesting that people give and receive love in different ways. See, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that affection looks the same across the board - grand sentiments, expensive gifts, unprompted declarations of love, you get the gist," Ryou explained, waving his hand, abstractly. He turned in his stool, angling himself to face Yuugi fully. "In reality though, not everyone works that way. We tend to put a lot of weight into what people say, even when sometimes what they say isn't in line with how they actually feel. Some people are able to more adequately express themselves through their actions and their behavior. Like, small gestures of appreciation or physical touch or even just sharing moments with you where they're able to open up and show you a part of themselves that they don't with anyone else." 

Ryou's words brought with them the memory of Atem's laugh, of the way Atem moved his lips against his, of the indulgent kisses that weren't always necessary. He thought of Atem reading the paper at the kitchen counter while he rummaged through the older man's pantry for snacks. 

 _So domesticated,_ he had said then.

"So, what are you saying?" Yuugi said, pushing the meddlesome thoughts away with a firm shake of his head. "That he might actually care about me, despite telling me, _to my face_ , that he doesn't?"

"I really can't tell you that, Yuugi," his pale-haired friend said, honestly. "However, what I can tell you is that you're sitting at a bar, alone, on a Friday night, after blowing off an amazing prospect, and you've spent the last - " Ryou glanced back down at his watch " - fifteen minutes talking about a guy that, in your own words, you aren't even sure you really like." Ryou shrugged his shoulders and lifted his chin. "Seems like maybe there might be more going on between you two than you care to admit."

Yuugi fell quiet after that, and Ryou left him alone to sit with his thoughts.

It was hard to argue with what Ryou had laid out so neatly for him, but he wanted to play devil's advocate anyways, because even if Atem liked him, what did that change? 

It's not like either of them were equipped to date each other.

Yuugi wasn't convinced that Atem was actually equipped to date anyone for that matter. 

They could barely even call themselves friends.

A thread of sadness wove through him at the thought, and the emotion surprised him.

He and Atem had been sleeping together for nearly half a year, spending both weekends and work nights tangled up in one another, but they had also spent a substantial amount of time with each other, fully clothed. In between or immediately following sex, they watched movies together, they ordered take-out together, and they spent outings with their friends subtly flirting with each other.

Did they really still not consider each other friends at this point?

That didn't seem right.

Sure, maybe they weren't friends in the most wholesome definition of the word, but they certainly weren't sworn enemies or strangers sharing a bed anymore.

It was more than that.

It had to be. 

He pondered then, whether it was possible for them to truly incorporate the 'friends' into their friends-with-benefits arrangement. What would that even look like for them? 

Yuugi wasn't sure. 

But he wanted to try. 

* * *

 

It was almost certainly a combination of his obstinance and perhaps an ounce or so of liquid courage that Yuugi wound up on Atem's doorstep at 10:20pm that very same evening. 

He had spent all of five minutes second-guessing himself and his reason for being there, before he finally lifted a hand to knock.

There was a brief silence that followed the tapping of his knuckles against the wood, during which time, Yuugi pondered quite seriously whether or not he could still make a run for it. 

The sound of rustling behind the door mere seconds later was his answer.  

"Yuugi?"

There was a genuine lilt of surprise in Atem's voice, the man standing in the threshold between them in only gray sweats and a sleeveless shirt. The older of the two rubbed at an eye with the heel of his palm, his normally sharp features softened with fatigue. His other hand was wrapped around the frame of the door, holding it open. "What are you doing here?" he asked, and he sounded more curious than annoyed, though he was definitely both. 

Yuugi steeled himself against the slither of anxiety in his belly, the prospect of being turned away at this point too mortifying to consider. "Well, you seemed a bit off earlier, like you had a tough week." Yuugi could barely stand to be on the receiving end of such a quiet and intense gaze, but still he soldiered on. "I thought... I thought maybe I could help?"

In another timeline, Atem would've asked him how his date went, and Yuugi would've told him the truth. That he was too distracted; too caught up in the sensation of Atem's palms, hot against his skin, and too concerned with how deep on the color spectrum his burgundy eyes were. And he would tell him that when his date talked about his hobbies and his favorite shows to binge, all Yuugi's brain could do was think of how paramount it was to keep Atem at arm's length, even though a part of him wanted to pull him closer; that when Atem laughed or smiled or gave him chocolates, his heart fluttered in his chest; that despite how condescending and judgmental Atem could be, Yuugi was beginning to realize that what Atem thought of him was actually important to him. The older man's opinion never held much weight with him before, but now Yuugi wanted Atem to like him, because he was learning to like Atem, and he wanted to know if there was potential for anything more.

But Atem didn't ask, and so Yuugi never said those things.

Instead, Atem glanced away from him and audibly sighed. 

There was a pause. 

And then, Atem pushed the door open, wider.

"We're watching what I want to watch," Atem told him, in a tone that left little room for argument.  

Yuugi couldn't help but smile, as Atem gestured him inside. "Deal," he said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE PPL.  
> 2) I know a lot of you were looking forward to/expecting a chapter about the date itself, but honestly, it was just so irrelevant to the story that I decided to skip it all together. When it came down to it, Yuugi could've been on a date with Leonardo DiCaprio or a cardboard box, it didn't matter. Atem is the only person he wants to have sitting across a table from him, even if he doesn't fully realize it yet.


	10. You Know I'll Follow

They didn't end up watching TV.

Atem had refocused his attention instead on stripping Yuugi of all his clothes before they had even made it to his bedroom, the documentary that he had paused prior to answering his front door completely forgotten.  

The following night, Yuugi made more of a conscious effort not to get swept away in Atem's striking gaze or the sharp edges of his body. He still wanted to know whether they could engage one another  _outside_ of the bedroom; whether they could actually be friends, or if he was simply out of his mind for entertaining the notion. 

And so, he invited Atem out for a drink. 

"Why?"

Atem tossed the question at him from his spot on the couch. Yuugi silently cursed Atem, who was just so devastatingly handsome in that moment, lounging against the armrest in a dark pair of jeans and gray hoodie. He resisted the urge to straddle Atem and drag his tongue along the underside of the man's strong jaw.

He needed to _focus_. 

"The drinks in my fridge are free."

"That's not the point," Yuugi argued, standing a few feet away from him, a balled fist resting against his protruding hip. 

Atem narrowed his eyes at him, weary. "What is the point then?" he asked him. 

Yuugi lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. "I just thought we could do something else other than get fat on take-out food and watch your silly crime shows," he said. 

Atem grunted, seemingly offended. He returned his gaze to the TV. "I'm not fat," he mumbled under his breath. 

"That's, once again, not the point." Yuugi glared at him, then at the ceiling, praying for both patience and chastity. "I just thought maybe we could grab a drink and... I don't know. I thought it might be fun." He felt very silly then, embarrassed even, and he blew out a puff of air to distract from the burn in his cheeks. He plopped himself down onto the love-seat diagonal from Atem and exhaled. "Nevermind," he muttered quietly, his attention falling to the TV as well.  

It was quiet then, both men watching the screen flicker between different scenes in silence.

After a few minutes, it was Atem's audible sigh that finally broke the lull in between them. 

"Fine," Atem said begrudgingly. He picked up the remote from the coffee table, pointed it towards the screen, and pressed the power button. "Grab your jacket." 

Yuugi muffled his surprise and stayed quiet, as they began to move around the house and gather their things for their impromptu outing. He purposefully avoided Atem's gaze, because he didn't want the older man to see his victorious smile and change his mind.  

 

* * *

 

It only took six minutes for Atem to find himself entirely annoyed with his shorter companion, the obstinate man who was shivering beside him in the chilly March night air, after decidedly _not_ grabbing his jacket. 

Atem shouldn't have cared; he should've let the brat freeze to death for being so stubborn and wearing short sleeves in this weather, but the sight of Yuugi trembling and rubbing his hands together in an effort to keep himself warm bothered Atem more than he cared to admit. 

"Take it."

Yuugi blinked up at the jacket Atem had removed from his shoulders and was now extending out to him. "Oh, no, that's okay," Yuugi declined politely, "I'm fine."

"Yuugi, take the goddamn jacket."

 _Before I strangle you with it_  were the words Atem withheld. 

Yuugi hesitated, but eventually obliged, primarily because Atem was still sporting his hoodie and looked perfectly well-insulated. Taking the garment from Atem's grasp, he shrugged the jacket on and immediately eased into the heat left behind by Atem. A faint wave of sandalwood swept over him, and Yuugi inhaled deep. There was a comfort to be found in Atem's familiar scent, and he would've let himself enjoy it more if he hadn't noticed that Atem's eyes were still on him. A burst of heat ran from the roots of his hair to the tip of his nose, and he found himself blushing under the scrutiny of Atem's dark, curious gaze.  

"T-thank you," Yuugi said quietly, breaking the silence that had seeped into the space between them. 

Atem's brows furrowed at that. Apparently the older man did not believe it cold enough to warrant stuttering. 

"What's the matter with you?" Atem questioned him. 

"What? N-nothing." Yuugi inwardly winced; he needed to pull it together and quickly. "Uh, are we almost to... you know, bar?"

Atem inclined his chin towards him, a tilt to his head. "Seriously, what's wrong with you? You're dropping your articles."

"I not!" 

"Now you're losing verbs."

Yuugi mumbled something unintelligible, and Atem could've sworn the younger man was _whining_. 

He wasn't exactly sure what had elicited the change in Yuugi's demeanor, but Atem couldn't deny that there was something rather amusing about watching Yuugi stumble over his own words like this. On anyone else, Atem would've found such uncertainty and shyness off-putting... but this was _Yuugi._ This was the headstrong, argumentative know-it-all that made him question his sanity on so many occasions over the years that Atem had lost count.

Against Atem's better judgement, he found Yuugi's unexpected bout of nervousness endearing. 

Instead of saying any of that though, Atem said, "You're being weird."

Yuugi scoffed. He seemed to have finally gathered his bearings. "No, I'm not. You are." The younger man paused and then accused, quieter, "You're smiling."

"I am?"

He was.

Atem narrowed his eyes at the street sign in front him and frowned. "Shut up," was all he thought to counter with. 

 

* * *

 

"So, the strawberries," Yuugi inquired, after they had settled into their seats with their drinks. The bar was a bit crammed, but they were able to secure a high-top table away from most of the crowd. "You never mentioned why your staff gifted them to you. Was it a special occasion?"

Atem did not like the question. "I don't know." He shrugged, taking a sip of his whiskey. "Guess they just felt like giving me something."

There was a shine in Yuugi's twilight eyes, a speckle of disbelief. He leaned back in his chair and squinted at Atem curiously. "Did you happen to listen to my advice?" he asked. 

"I would really never do such a thing."

Despite his assertion, a dazzling smile broke out across Yuugi's face, and Atem immediately looked away. Mainly because it annoyed him whenever Yuugi gloated, but also because the other looked awfully pretty when he smiled like that. 

"How's your project going?" Atem asked him, abruptly. He didn't really care about the answer, but he wanted to steer the conversation in a different direction. By the way Yuugi's eyes brightened at the question, the younger man was more than willing to take the bait. 

From the moment Yuugi began to speak about the tedious details of his latest project, Atem found himself distracted by a few of Yuugi's quirks that he had never really noticed before. For one, Yuugi played with his hair when he spoke freely, with a golden curl in particular that he kept tucking behind his ear, even though it was too short to really ever stay put. There was a light in his eyes when he talked about something he was genuinely excited about, and it reminded Atem of constellations, except instead of littering the night sky, they were scattered across Yuugi's irises. He smiled a lot too, not really at anything in particular it seemed; he just smiled because Yuugi was a person who smiled and who also enjoyed casual conversation.

Atem never really enjoyed small talk himself, but he found himself rather intrigued by this particular conversation; not really in what Yuugi was saying, but more so in the way he saying it, like every single word was interesting even when it wasn't.  

There was a heat in the pit of Atem's stomach then, because Yuugi was stunning, and Atem had the sudden desire to be back at home with him, simply because he wanted to keep the boy's warmth and good nature and quirky smiles all to himself. Though he would never admit it out loud,it occurred to him that he did not like that Yuugi was _dating_ and sharing these parts of himself with people other than him. 

Atem tried to push the intrusive thoughts away, and yet they lingered. 

There was something different between them.

He wasn't sure what it was; wasn't sure if he even liked it or if it was worth exploring, but it was certainly there.

Both his thoughts and Yuugi's sentence were unexpectedly cut short by a man, muscular and tall, approaching their table. The newcomer had a bandanna weighing down his unruly blond hair, and a pair of blue eyes that were not nearly as charming as Yuugi's. 

"Hey, Yuugi, long time no see," the man said by way of greeting. He had angled himself so that he was almost completely facing Yuugi, his back exposed to Atem. "You're looking as amazing as ever." 

"Oh, hey Keith." Yuugi greeted, and Atem could tell instantly that Yuugi was uncomfortable. "Yeah, it's been a while for sure. Uh, this is Atem," Yuugi introduced, gesturing to his table companion. "Atem, this is Keith, an old colleague of mine."

"Cool," Keith said, but he didn't actually turn around to acknowledge Atem beyond that. "I was just about to get another drink, can I get you something?" Keith asked him.  

"Oh, no, I'm all set." Yuugi tilted his half empty wine glass at him. "Thank you though."

"Oh come on," Keith pressed on, an insistence to his flirting. "Don't be like that, let me get you something."

It was Atem who spoke next. 

"No is a complete sentence." 

His words stopped the conversation dead in it's tracks. The fair-skinned man, Keith as it were, turned fully to face him then. He sized Atem up with a quick flicker of his eyes. "I'm sorry, are you his boyfriend or something?" Keith questioned, his smooth voice belying his irritation at the interruption. 

"No, nor do I have to be to take note of your desperation or lack of social awareness," Atem spoke evenly. "If you couldn't tell, he's not interested, so if you don't mind, we were in the middle of a conversation."

" _Atem,_ " Yuugi muttered the name, chiding. "It's fine, I can handle - "

"What did you just say to me?" Keith did not seem pleased by Atem's comments if his sudden posturing was anything to go by. 

But Atem remained unimpressed. "Surely, you are not deaf? Though I suppose that would account for why you can't hear the rejection in Yuugi's voice."

A hand was suddenly at Atem's shoulder, forcefully shoving Atem into the back of his chair. Yuugi gasped and said something to both of the men, but neither were really paying attention to him anymore.

Atem glanced at the offended shoulder with a frown, before looking up to meet Keith's gaze with an unreadable expression. "I'll give you that one," Atem intoned steadily, still seated. "But if you put your hands on me again, I will - "

"What?" Keith taunted, shoving Atem's shoulder again. "You'll - "

The man's words were cut off the moment Atem's fist met his face.

Yuugi's hand shot to his mouth, but his scream was overshadowed by Keith's pained one. Atem retracted his fist, his knuckles bloody from Keith's teeth cutting into the skin there. But Keith was certainly the bloodier of the two, the heavy-set blond covering his mouth and nose with both hands, as a river of red trickled down his jaw. He hunched over and groaned into his hands. 

"You motherfucker," he hissed, his words muffled. "I think you broke my nose. I ought to - "

There was a bouncer, larger than all three of them, sharing their space very suddenly, a hard look fixed onto his face. "You three need to leave," he told them, his tone leaving no room for exceptions to be made. 

"He punched me," Keith instantly accused, gesturing to his assailant with a nod of his head. 

It seemed though that the bouncer cared very little for the details. "I think I saw enough to get a sense of what was going on here. Now all of you, scram before I call the cops."

Atem said nothing in his defense. He just took a hefty swing of his whiskey, finishing it off, and then set the glass down on the table harder than necessary. When he stood and turned to leave, he did not look back to see if Yuugi followed him, and only when the cold outside air hit the skin of his face did he exhale the breath he had been tightly holding onto.

He was _furious -_ incensed that someone had the audacity to put their hands on him and angry at Yuugi for reasons he couldn't adequately put into words.

He was over it.

Whatever was happening between him and Yuugi, he didn't want it.

He could do without this apprehension and doubt and  _jealousy_ that rendered him unable to think and react clearly.

Atem had already been walking at a brisk pace towards his house for a few minutes by the time he heard someone running up behind him. He didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"Atem!" Yuugi shouted, once the younger was within earshot. "What in the world is wrong with you? Why - "

"Go home, Yuugi," Atem called out over his shoulder. 

_"Excuse me?"_

Yuugi must've picked up his pace, because soon he was in front of Atem, his hands shooting out to halt Atem in his tracks.

Atem glared at him for his efforts, but Yuugi was unfazed. 

"What is the matter with you? You can't just - just _do that._ I had it under control."

"Pfft." Atem sounded unconvinced, but said nothing else as he circled Yuugi and resumed walking, albeit at a slower pace now. 

Yuugi made no move to stop him this time, because Yuugi had no interest in playing this game. He did not want to chase Atem; he didn't want to chase a man who didn't want him around, and the thought was infuriating enough for Yuugi to stomp his foot onto the sidewalk. "God, why are you _such_ an asshole?"

"Because it's all you ever expect me to be!"

Both men froze, Atem still a few yards away from him, and the tension left Yuugi's body as quickly as it came.

There was a sting in his chest, and though Yuugi couldn't place the emotion, he knew one thing. It hurt. 

It took Yuugi a few seconds to catch up with Atem again, but once he did, he moved back out in front of him. He peered up into Atem's guarded gaze. "That's not true," Yuugi said to him quietly.

"Get out of my way - " 

"Just stop." Yuugi raised his hands to press them against Atem's chest, but the hold was soft and Atem could break it if he wanted to. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I made you feel like I'm always expecting the worst from you. I don't... I don't actually believe that you're that kind of person. Not anymore, at least. But please, I need you to stop because you're lashing out at me, and it's _not fair_." 

A stretch of silence ensued, and Atem felt overwhelmed by Yuugi's visible distress. He did not like this - this subtle desire to be near Yuugi, to kiss his lips and feel his skin under his fingertips whenever they stood too close to each other. It was unfamiliar, and it felt out of place given that he had spent so long trying to stay away from him. It didn't make any sense, and Atem was struggling to reconcile it all but.. none of that was really Yuugi's fault.

Another beat of silence passed, and in it Atem took Yuugi's hands in his, pulling them away from his chest. He lowered them to hang in the space between them, registering then that Yuugi was still wearing his jacket.

"I'm sorry," Atem finally said. "I... haven't been feeling quite like myself lately. But you're right. I shouldn't be blaming you. You didn't do anything wrong, and this isn't your fault."

And it wasn't.

It wasn't Yuugi's fault that Atem couldn't get a grip. 

In response to Atem's apology, Yuugi exhaled a deep breath and dropped his gaze to their joined hands. Atem was still bleeding a bit and though the cuts on his hand weren't deep, they certainly needed to be disinfected and bandaged. "Come on," Yuugi said in a tired, hushed tone, their hands falling away from one another. "Let's go home. You need to clean those cuts."

They weren't far from Atem's at this point, his house only a few streets away, and they traveled that distance in relative silence, entering the house quietly once they arrived. Under Yuugi's instruction, Atem settled onto his bed as the younger retrieved the first aid kit from under the bathroom sink. Joining Atem in his room, Yuugi laid the small box on the nightstand by Atem's bed and clicked it open, shifting through its contents. He worked in silence, sliding an alcoholic wipe over the cuts in Atem's skin to clean the wounds, pausing when Atem winced. Turning back to the box, he pulled out a roll of gauze. 

"I'm sorry for my behavior tonight," Atem said to him, and it was a break in the silence that had blanketed the room. 

It was the second time that Atem had apologized to him tonight, the second time that he probably ever apologized to him, but still Yuugi didn't know what to say. He just went about wrapping Atem's knuckles, though he could feel Atem's heavy gaze on the side of his face.

Atem watched Yuugi carefully, glancing for a moment at those soft hands holding onto his. He thought back to earlier in the night, back to when Yuugi spoke of things that didn't truly matter and Atem felt things he wasn't supposed to feel. 

"I don't know if anybody's told you this recently," Atem started to say to him, and Yuugi lifted his eyes to meet the other's scarlet red gaze. "But you're rather beautiful."

The softened words stunned Yuugi into a sudden stillness. 

His hands stopped their work, and his heart quieted.

He didn't know how to respond to that; had no idea what he was supposed to do with that information. Despite their sweet intention, Atem's words had a devastating effect on him. He had been so lonely after all, so starved for affection that he had settled long ago for Atem's distant touch, because it made his body feel good even if his heart longed for someone who could give him something more.

Atem's words though, they were a shot to his heart, and suddenly he was the one wounded and in need of something to dull the pain. 

Yuugi let the gauze fall from his hands and found himself in Atem's lap, his palms against tan cheeks and his lips on Atem's. He pressed himself flush against Atem's strong chest, not allowing for any distance between them, because his eyes were hot and he didn't want Atem to see. 

Yuugi pushed the emotions away quickly and focused his energy instead into the roll of his hips. He swallowed the other's resulting moans, stealing Atem's breath because he was struggling to find his own. He felt Atem's arms snake around him then, Atem's long fingers burying themselves into his wild hair. Atem pulled him even closer, despite that being a rather impossible endeavor.

But Yuugi let him try anyways, because his heart was racing, and it was hurting, and he needed Atem to fuck him so thoroughly that he'd forget the ache in his bones and the pretty words that caused them. 

"Off," Yuugi mumbled against Atem's lips, pulling roughly at his shirt to get his point across.

They separated so that Yuugi could grasp the hem of Atem's shirt and pull it carelessly over his head. The rest of their clothes followed, piling onto Atem's pristine floor in a disorderly heap. Once bare, Yuugi let Atem spin them around, sighing when his back touched Atem's satin bed sheets. The open air was cool against their naked skin, so they buried themselves under blankets to shy away from the chill, effectively trapping their body heart in between them. Atem was on top of him then, in between his legs where he belonged, and Yuugi whimpered when Atem kissed his neck because the man's mouth was hot and his lips were practically burning his skin. He could feel Atem's hands on his hips, his thumbs rubbing circles around the bone, while the older man trailed fiery kisses down his neck and over his collarbone. 

Yuugi didn't want this though. He didn't want Atem's lips so far away from his, because how else could he hide his shame under Atem's waterfall of raven hair.

Yuugi grabbed onto the black strands of Atem's messy halo and brought Atem back to him. He crushed his mouth to his and spread his legs wider for him, pleading. His breath was shaky, and he needed Atem inside of him, needed the elder to hold him down and fill him to the brim. 

He didn't know what was causing his body to tremble as it did - only that he was too hot, too cold, and somehow both painfully aroused and utterly heartbroken.

And still, even then, he wasn't sure why.  

"Fuck me," Yuugi murmured in Atem's ear, nipping at the lobe. _"Please."_

Atem did not need to be told twice, and though it was evident that neither man was in the mood for much foreplay, Atem still made sure his arousal was slick with his bedside lube, before obliging Yuugi's request. He angled his hips and slid his cock between Yuugi's plump cheeks, the tip pushing past the unyielding ring of muscles. With two strong hands on either hip, Atem held Yuugi still when the smaller body tried to fight against the breach. 

"Hnn." Atem closed his eyes tightly, the lines of his face tense as he buried himself inside of Yuugi.  

And Yuugi's breath came out in airy pants as he adjusted to the thickness spreading him. He felt full, nearly complete again, and some of the pain in his chest was soothed. 

Atem opened his eyes, only to find cloudy bluish-violet eyes waiting for him. He decided in that moment that not only was Yuugi beautiful, but he was flawless in that beauty. 

Enchanted, Atem withdrew from Yuugi and then slowly pushed himself back inside that glorious heat. He watched Yuugi's eyes close, a strangled breath leaving those perfect, pink lips.

Atem was having absolutely none of that.  

When he grabbed the smaller man's chin, Yuugi opened his eyes again, confused. 

"I want you to watch me," Atem told him, his breath making the honey curls resting on Yuugi's forehead dance, and his long lashes flutter. "I want you to keep those eyes open and watch me fuck you, understood?"

A flush of color bloomed across Yuugi's cheeks, his eyes glowing with lust and something else much more fragile. 

Atem began to move at a steady pace then, took Yuugi slow and deep. Under sheets, he held Yuugi's hips tight and used the leverage to plunge himself to the hilt with every languid thrust. Yuugi wanted to close his eyes, because he was out of his mind with ecstasy but also because he wasn't sure what Atem would see hidden in their depths. 

But Atem wouldn't let him close them. He was being forced to watch those mahogany eyes, hooded and shimmering with bottomless desire, as Atem fucked him slow, stealing everything that Yuugi never said he could take, and it was all  _so much_. 

An emotion began to bubble in his chest. "Atem..." he whispered, and it was Atem who closed his eyes then, seeming to bask in the way his name tumbled from Yuugi's lips. He bucked forward, unexpectedly, and Yuugi moaned freely, his pupils dilating. 

"Tell me how this feels," Atem demanded, because the man always loved to hear all the ways he broke him apart. 

But Yuugi couldn't answer him, because he felt like if he opened his mouth, he'd burst.

So Yuugi kissed him instead, scraping his teeth over Atem's bottom lip.

Atem grunted and quickened his pace, and they both moaned into each other's mouths when Yuugi lifted his hips to meet him at each thrust. Sweat trickled down Atem's face and beaded at his chin. Their bodies were slick and hot and trembling in pure euphoria, and they were only holding on now by tiny threads. A chorus of whimpers and moans fell from Yuugi's lips, and Atem fucked him faster because he wanted to submerge himself in the sound of Yuugi climaxing, as his own threatened to ruin him. 

And then it was over, and they were both panting and seeing stars in their mind's eye, a sheen of sweat layering their skin and making them stick together. They fell apart gracelessly, Atem collapsing beside Yuugi, and his arm finding itself trapped once more under Yuugi's neck.

It was a few minutes later, after he had caught his breath, that Atem went to remove his arm and untangle himself from the other. He hesitated though, because there was something about the way that Yuugi had buried his face into his side that made him feel like Yuugi needed the contact... and perhaps just a little bit of comfort.

So, he left it there, even after sleep claimed the younger man, and it wasn't necessary anymore.

He supposed there was a small part of him that needed it, too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1] heard that article/verb joke on the sitcom, New Girl, and absolutely needed it in this chapter.  
> 2] guys, this chapter was such a bitch to write, because these two are lunatics, and they are fighting me every step of the way to fall for the other. hope you liked it though, despite it sending me to an early grave.  
> 3] this chapter marks about the halfway point for this story. maybe. haven't decided on a final chapter count, but its somewhere between 15 and 20.  
> 4] is your heart breaking for Yuugi? mine is.


	11. Kingdom of Thieves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1] a bit of a roller-coaster coming your way, buckle up.

Yuugi woke disoriented, and he wondered whether it was possible to be hungover from a single glass of wine. The previous night was an emotional blur and, for the life of him, he couldn't pinpoint what had triggered such an intense response from him. He tried not to ponder on the matter too much though, both because his head was throbbing and also because it was much easier to give into the warmth of Atem's body beside him than it was to wonder why his heart felt so heavy. Atem's arms, which were just hills and valleys of lean muscle, were wrapped around him, and it seemed that Yuugi had used Atem's shoulder as a headrest overnight as opposed to one of the many available pillows on the bed. When he had first opened his eyes and realized their current intertwined state, he was nearly startled into full consciousness.

Yet, the idea of pulling away hadn't crossed the bleary landscape of his mind.

He knew he couldn't stay there forever though, buried under blankets and nestled against Atem in a way that was much more intimate than any amount of fucking had been. Quietly and with a smidgen of reluctance, Yuugi eased out of the bed, pushing away familiar sheets and a heat that he immediately missed. He figured that perhaps a hot shower would help clear his head. 

It didn't.

But it did ease the ache behind his temple.

Dressing in a dark sweater and a light pair of khakis, Yuugi relocated to the kitchen and began to gather a few breakfast items. He absently powered on the coffee pot, his thoughts floating away from him as his hands moved on auto-pilot. He didn't know what had gotten into him yesterday, but he felt rather childish for being so emotional. A hint of color heated his cheeks at the small wave of embarrassment that passed through him at the memory. He supposed he could blame it all on the adrenaline rush of Atem starting a fight - or at the very least, finishing one - on what was supposed to be a quiet night of friendly conversation. 

His thoughts continued to wander, as he slid over to the far counter to pop a few slices of wheat bread into the toaster. He went to the fridge next and pulled out a plastic container of berries, setting it on the center island. 

As long as he had known Atem, he had never known the man to be violent. Then again, he had never been in a situation with Atem that required such a response. 

Still, Yuugi couldn't imagine that this was something that occurred with any sort of frequency. Atem, for all his bravado and strength, was a pacifist. He was not one to condone violence of any kind - it was one of the reasons he did not include meat or dairy in his diet. The man fought, not with his fists, but with his words. He had a sharp tongue that was able to hurt much more than a punch, Yuugi knew, so he wasn't quite sure what had warranted such an out-of-character reaction from the older man. 

The toaster chimed, the bread popping out of its heated confines and pulling him away from his thoughts. Moving the pieces onto two separate plates, Yuug picked up a butter knife and began to spread avocado slices along the hardened bread.

Only then did he notice that he was not alone in the kitchen.

Yuugi visibly jumped when he met Atem's pensive gaze. The man was watching him silently, arms crossed with a hip resting against the threshold of the doorway. He looked rather comfortable there, dressed in a white sleeveless sweater and brown khakis that were similar to Yuugi's own. His hair was a wonderful mess of black and gold, and his knuckles were wrapped in the white gauze Yuugi had tried to secure around his wounded hand last night, before he got... distracted. 

"Oh, hey. I didn't hear you get up." Yuugi looked down at the two plates of toast sheepishly. "Sorry, I know you don't like when I go through your things. I just figured we could use some breakfast."

Atem pushed himself away from the threshold and stepped fully into the kitchen with a shrug. "Breakfast sounds nice," he said, but honestly it wasn't the food that had captured his quiet attention. It was how at home Yuugi had looked in his kitchen, making breakfast for them. 

Yuugi smiled, as Atem settled down onto one of the stools across from him. He pushed a plate towards him and then turned towards the coffee pot. "How do you want your coffee?" he asked. 

"Black like my soul," Atem replied instantly. 

A little laugh floated from in between Yuugi's lips. He appreciated Atem's attempt to lighten the slightly tense atmosphere. Especially since Atem had never really cared to do so before.

They ate in relative silence, exchanging a few words here and there. The lack of conversation seemed to be less about not having anything to talk about, and more to do with both men being otherwise preoccupied with their thoughts. Fortunately, breakfast was a light and short affair and, once the plates were cleared, they relocated to the couch in the living room. Positioning his head on one of the armrests, Atem lied across the cushions, while Yuugi huddled into the opposite corner, Atem's socked feet at his thigh. As enmeshed as they had spent the previous night together, Yuugi had a hard time determining what amount of physical contact was acceptable at the moment. 

Atem channel-surfed until he came across a morning news station. The weather segment was playing on repeat, showing clear skies and a surprising high of 60s for what was usually a cold month in Domino. 

Yuugi watched the meteorologist praise the spring-like day with mild interest. "I'd ask if you wanted to grab some ice cream this afternoon, but I really can't have you punching people in the face anytime we go out." The words left Yuugi's mouth before he even had a moment to consider whether Atem was in the mood for such jokes. 

Atem's nonplussed expression did very little to clarify the matter. "He hit me first," Atem argued, his gaze now directed at him. 

Yuugi wasn't sure what to do with that, so he decided why not just steer into the skid. "So, I'm not saying what he did was okay, but I mean, I get it. Sometimes when you talk, you kinda just make people want to hit you."

Yuugi was biting back a smile, as he stared intently at the TV, unwilling to look at Atem in the offended silence that followed. 

An undignified yelp escaped from his throat when a strong hand wrapped itself around his bicep and yanked him to the side. He found himself sprawled over Atem, his head on the man's hard chest.

He glanced up at Atem with a cheeky smile. 

"Keep it up, Yuugi. I'll put you out on your ass so fast, you'll get whiplash."

Yuugi recognized the threat as a real one, but he also heard the lighthearted undertones in Atem's words - a subtle green light.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't over the moon with the renewed contact between them.

"Aw, come on, don't be like that." Yuugi inched higher, bringing his lips close to Atem's mouth. "Come here, maybe I can make it up to you."

Atem rolled his eyes, but made no indication of pushing Yuugi away. "How about you make it up to me by keeping those hooligan acquaintances of yours away from me."

"Hooligan? Oh my god, are you actually seventy years old?" Yuugi tried to suppress a hiccup of giggles but was failing quite miserably.  

"Do you ever stop talking?"

Yuugi parted his lips again to respond, but before he could, Atem closed the tiny space between them and kissed him. There was a subdued nature to it, a languid press of Atem's lips to his that took his breath away. He could feel Atem's tongue running over his bottom lip, and Yuugi let Atem explore his mouth at a relaxed and easy pace, exhaling softly.

And then, Atem's hands were moving to rest on his back, and the touch was as humbling as the kiss itself. 

Yuugi's heart fluttered in his chest, like it had grown wings and was ready to take flight. He couldn't remember the last time someone had kissed him like this; couldn't remember if anyone had ever held him so... tenderly.

When they parted, it was not with the fierce desire for more, but with an air of appeasement. A muted calm filled the space around them, and Yuugi lowered his chin to rest a top his overlapped hands that had found a home on Atem's chest. He gazed up at Atem with a small sigh of content, and Atem met his eyes. With only the murmur of the TV playing beside them, Atem was able to fully lay witness to Yuugi in all his unrestrained beauty.  

If Yuugi was a day, Atem decided then, he'd be a Sunday. Natural and authentic and gracious - not suppressed under the fatigue of a work day or masked by the glitter and thrill of a Saturday. 

And if Atem had any doubt about it before, he knew it with absolute certainty the moment Yuugi smiled up at him, his eyes fluttering close, and a blush coloring the very tip of his button nose.

Yes, if Yuugi was a day, Atem knew, he would be the most indulgent of days.  

 

* * *

 

When Yuugi opened his eyes, it was to Atem's unguarded expression.

Better than that, it was to a _smile._

Not to a teasing or snarky or condescending smile, but to an honest-to-God genuine smile, and Yuugi wanted to drown himself in it because  _fucking Jesus, it was wonderful._

Yuugi could feel himself beaming, absolutely enthralled to be on the receiving end such a sincere smile, because how could he not?

But just as quickly, he felt his own smile drop.

Because that's when he knew what this was; this elusive feeling in his chest that was mostly painful, but on the rare occasion such as this, also sort of wondrous. 

"I like you," Yuugi said, surprise bordering on shock underlining his words at the sudden realization. 

And it was true, he liked Atem.

And more than that - he liked him _a lot._

Atem's smile fell away, like it had never graced his face at all. The hands that had been resting on his back left him, and the only response that Yuugi was given was silence.

It was painfully loud. 

"I'm sorry," Yuugi mumbled, because the quiet had morphed from something beautiful into something awful, and it needed to be filled. He lifted himself up and away from Atem, returning to his corner of the couch. 

Atem made a move to follow. "Yuugi, I..." 

Yuugi shook his head, and there was a burn in his eyes but he'd be _damned_  if he let it become anything more. "Sorry," Yuugi said again. "I know that's not what you signed up for." When he felt a bit more composed, Yuugi glanced back over at Atem. "But... I need to be honest with you, because I'm starting to realize that this," he gestured in between them, "isn't enough for me anymore. I think I need more than this - not from you..." Yuugi lowered his gaze to his hands in his lap. "I mean, not necessarily from you, just... from someone." 

_But... maybe you?_

Yuugi kept that last part to himself though, because he could already feel the rejection thickening the air around them, and he didn't need to make this hurt more than it needed to. 

It was a few moments of silence, before Atem re-positioned himself on the couch, his feet falling to the floor. He sat next to Yuugi, but his eyes had glued themselves to the TV. "I see," was all he said.

And while Yuugi was steeling himself, Atem was busy finding small comforts in the moving figures on the screen in front of him, still in a semi-state of disbelief at Yuugi's confession. 

The truth was, he liked Yuugi, too.

But he wasn't interested in a relationship with him. 

Frankly, he wasn't interested in a relationship with anyone. He was god awful at them, and he knew that nothing good could come from one.

They had found this happy medium that worked for them, and he didn't want to change that. Why couldn't they just keep doing _this?_  

It was a selfish thought, he knew, but he held onto it all the same. Yuugi was telling him, albeit a bit indirectly, that he needed more emotion and commitment than Atem was equipped to provide, so deep down, he knew exactly why they couldn't keep doing this. Still, Atem had no interest in pursuing a relationship that was doomed from the start - especially with Yuugi, who, in a way, actually mattered to him.

It was quiet for another moment.

"I take it this ends our arrangement?" was all Atem could think to say. 

Yuugi exhaled a deep sigh from the very bottom of his lungs. "Yeah, I think so." 

"I... like having you in my life," Atem said quietly, as if he was being forced to admit it. "I don't want to lose... this. But I also can't give you anything more."

Yuugi bit his bottom lip. He was glad he didn't have to look at Atem in the eye for this part, because there was a pull in his red gaze that Yuugi had a hard time resisting. He deserved more, but he also wished that didn't mean he had to step back from the bond he had created with Atem, out of thin air, out of practically nothing. "I know," Yuugi whispered.

He stood from the couch and took a few steps away from the other. He needed some distance, needed to pull himself out from Atem's gravity, because if he didn't, he was at risk for getting sucked back in and staying, because leaving was too hard. "This doesn't have to be... it, you know," Yuugi said, turning halfway to look down at Atem. "We can just go back to being... I don't know, arch nemeses."

A single laugh fell from Atem's lips and then it was quiet again. After a second, he lifted himself up from the couch and stepped towards Yuugi.

Yuugi wanted to move away from him again. 

"Okay. If this is what you want, then I - "

"I _don't._ " Yuugi said it more harshly than he intended to. He continued with a softer tone. "It's just... I know if we keep doing this... I'll want more from you."

Atem didn't say anything and, as difficult as it was, Yuugi desperately needed to leave, because he was feeling so utterly claustrophobic in this room with Atem so close to him. 

"Uh, I should get going."

Yuugi took a step away. 

Atem caught him, a hand grasping onto his elbow.

"Wait." 

"Hm?" Yuugi hummed, because he didn't trust his voice anymore, with Atem touching him like this when all Yuugi craved was to be touched by him. 

Atem opened his mouth to respond. Then, he closed it, and instead he lifted the hand holding firmly onto Yuugi's elbow to grasp onto his pale chin.

Atem kissed him - and they both knew it was selfish of him to do so, but Yuugi forgave him, because there was honestly a part of Yuugi that _didn't want to leave._

What he wanted was to matter enough to Atem that the man was willing to step out on a limb with him and give this a honest shot.

He didn't actually want to part ways, but he had to, because this would only get harder the longer he lingered. He'd grow more attached to Atem with time, with every shared kiss, every new piece of information about him, and with every night enveloped in his body heat. And at the end of the day, he respected himself too much to let that happen. 

There was nothing grand about this kiss Atem had given him. It was simply a prolonged press of their mouths against each other.

It felt like... a farewell?

When Atem finally pulled away, Yuugi's eyes remained close, his brows in a deep furrow.

He ducked his head, and his bangs fell over the top half of his face, casting a shadow. 

"I'll see you around, Atem," Yuugi whispered, quickly turning from him. 

And Atem didn't stop him this time, nor did he follow when Yuugi walked with haste out of the living room. 

The front door closed with a resounding click and, once the sound met his ears, Atem wandered back to the couch. He stored away all of his thoughts and every single emotion that threatened to disrupt him into a small box in his mind and shelved it. Then, he returned his attention to the TV screen.

He leaned back into the couch cushions and picked up the remote, flicking through the channels. 

It took Atem the entirety of the afternoon to realize that Yuugi had stolen something very precious from him that morning... because suddenly, Sundays didn't seem all that great anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1] no you can't kill Atem, I need him for future chapters  
> 2] lessend fking blew this chapter's art out of the water. if you don't want to give this story kudos for the writing, give it for the stunning art, like holy shit.


	12. I Ever Dreamed Of

The next two weeks moved at an agonizingly slow pace.

As it turned out, the days were long, and the nights longer still, when he knew that he wouldn't be spending them with a certain violet-eyed menace who ate all his food and hogged all his blankets. It wasn't as bad when he had the choice; when he could choose between the quiet and solitude of his home, or the touch and company that Yuugi provided.

But he didn't have that choice anymore and, to be honest, being alone in his house wasn't nearly as appealing as it had been prior to Yuugi weaseling himself into his life.

He supposed things just seemed bit duller without Yuugi constantly in his peripheral. 

"Sennen, what is the matter with you?" 

Atem blinked up into the sharp gaze of the man suddenly stationed next to him. It was then that he noticed that his coffee had finished pouring from the Keurig, and he briefly wondered how long he had been standing there. The common area of the floor was relatively clear of bodies with the exception of Jaden, who was working quietly at his desk.

Miho and Rebecca were both on lunch, so he hadn't expected anyone to be around to ask him this stupid question - especially not the suspicious, narcissistic CEO to his left.

"Nothing," Atem answered. He grabbed his office mug and turned to face him. "Is there something I can help you with, Kaiba?"

Kaiba's stare was piercing, and the blue of his eyes stood out against the sleek black of his outfit and the flair of his long, white coat. "You submitted the documentation from the most recent contract late."

Atem furrowed his brows, but it was done more in confusion than in offense. "No, I didn't," he firmly denied. "It was due today. I submitted it last night before I left the office for the evening."

"Yes," Kaiba concurred. "You submitted it last night, only one day before it was due."

Atem blinked slowly. "So, it wasn't late," he stated. 

"By your standards, yes, it was," Kaiba disputed. "In the two years that you've been employed here, you have submitted similar documents no later than a week in advance. You have never cut it this close to a deadline, which makes me wonder whether you are operating at your full capacity. "

Atem shifted his weight onto one foot, a single brow rising to hide under his bangs. "So, what you are saying is that you are disappointed that I did not submit this documentation to you  _early_ enough?" he intoned. He paused to take a sip of his black coffee, because God knew he needed it to get through the rest of this conversation. "Surely you have more pertinent things to do, Kaiba," he added once he swallowed the bit of hot liquid.

"If you believe a decline in work ethic is not a pertinent matter, you are sorely mistaken." Kaiba inclined his chin, silently challenging him. "Not to mention you have been unbearable to be around as of late."

"More so than usual?" Atem humored him. 

Kaiba openly scoffed. "There's a difference between being a prick and being a _miserable_ prick," he said. 

Atem resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "That's rich coming from you," he said, taking another swig of his coffee. 

"Everything's rich coming from me, I'm a billionaire," Kaiba said smoothly. "Seriously though, I think I preferred it when you were skipping around the building, all chipper and the like."

" _What?"_ Atem appeared genuinely taken aback by the other's words. "When did I...?" His scarlet eyes narrowed. "Look, I've been called many things in my life, Kaiba, but _chipper_ has never been one of them."

"You are either joking or oblivious, both of which make me doubt your capabilities even further." Kaiba straightened his spine. He somehow looked much taller. "You do realize that you've been a cheery little shit these past few months?"

"Well, if that isn't just the most absurd statement I've ever heard," Atem muttered and, this time, there was not a soul on earth that could've stopped his eyes from rolling. 

"You don't think so?" Kaiba glanced around the room, his hard gaze falling on the only other person occupying the shared space. He reached the younger man's desk in four long strides, Atem begrudgingly following behind him. 

"You," Kaiba snapped. "Employee." 

Jaden, who had been previously trying to make himself as small as possible, quickly perked up. "Yes, Mr. Kaiba?" he said respectfully.  

Kaiba gestured towards Atem, standing to the right of him. "How would you describe Sennen's disposition so far this year?" he questioned. 

Jaden glanced in between the two men towering over him, looking like a doe-eyed deer caught in headlights. Though Atem supposed that didn't quite do Jaden's expression justice. Really, Jaden looked more like a squirrel scurrying between the two rows of tires of a semi-truck, trying to decide which side would hurt less to be run over by. 

"Uh, gee, sir," Jaden said with an audible gulp. "I'm not quite sure."

Kaiba looked at the fair-skinned employee like he was the most incompetent human being he had ever comes across, but really, Kaiba looked at everyone that way. The CEO dismissed the secretary with a wave. "Okay, well then, you're fired. Gather your things and vacate the premise immediately."

All of the color vanished from Jaden's face, but Atem intervened before the shock could settle in and make a home in Jaden's palpitating heart. 

"You're not fired, Jaden," Atem said, lifting an open hand out towards him. "Stay in your seat."

Kaiba scowled. First at Atem, then at Jaden. "It's my name on the building, yes? Great, so you should leave, before you're arrested for trespassing."

Jaden moved to stand on shaky legs, and Atem bristled. "Sit. _Down,_ " he hissed. 

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Jaden mumbled, doubling over in his chair, his back hunching. He pulled the waste bin towards himself, and Atem could hear his secretary taking deep breaths in and out to calm himself. 

"Enough, Kaiba." Atem turned back to the CEO and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. "You win. Just stop tormenting my staff, please." When Atem gazed upon Kaiba next, it was with a hardened expression and set jaw. "I've been dealing with some... personal issues. But it's nothing that I - "

"Take a week off."

Atem tensed at the order and immediately protested. "I can still do my job," he stated evenly.  

"Not well," Kaiba replied without hesitation. "Now go home before I have security escort you out and,  _trust me,_ this is not a bluff you want to call."

Without another word on the matter, Kaiba spun on his heel, his coat trailing behind his long strides. Atem glared at the spot the CEO previously occupied, his grip on his mug hard enough that the ceramic cracking under his palm was a real possibility. 

"Uh, sir?"

Atemu shifted his attention to Jaden, the poor man still pale as a ghost. When his secretary flinched under his gaze, Atem attempted to loosen the tight lines of his face.

"Yes, Jaden?"

His secretary pulled at his shirt collar and coughed. "Well, first, thank you for... that." Jaden breathed, still settling himself. "But also, I just wanted to say that, between you and me, you have seemed... I don't know, I guess, less tense recently? Like, your spirits were a bit lifted." Jaden shifted uncomfortably in his seat and could only hope he wasn't crossing too many of his boss' boundaries. "Anyways, I don't want to pry into your personal life... but I do hope everything is okay."

Atem turned from Jaden's flustered gaze back to the empty space in front of him. He considered the other's words, then dismissed them just as easily. "Thank you, Jaden," he said quietly, moving towards his office. "Now get back to work," he said. 

Closing the door to his office shut behind him, Atem walked over to his desk, placed his cooling coffee on a coaster, and began to pack his briefcase with paperwork that he could work on from home. 

This forced time off was an insult to injury.

Though his job was stressful, it was his, and he was proud of it. It also kept his mind and hands busy, both of which had been seeking out a familiar presence that was no longer around. And as he had determined earlier, his home didn't provide him with the refuge it did before. What had previously been his corner of the world that was free from noise and expectations and social pressures was now just a quiet space for him to be reminded of soft skin and bright eyes and a warmth that didn't exist. He hadn't quite realized how much of his world Yuugi had occupied, and he was struggling to adjust to his sudden absence. He had severely underestimated how stealthy Yuugi was - infiltrating his bed, his home, and now his thoughts. 

But still, he knew there was no other decision he could've made. He wouldn't let his weakness for pretty eyes compromise him. He had been down this road many times before and expecting a different outcome was the definition of insanity. When it came down to it, he simply could not meet his partners' emotional needs. Despite how clear he would attempt to make this in the beginning, still his partners would be disappointed when he didn't bring them home dinner or chocolates or flowers; they would be shocked when he refused to express himself often and freely. Then, of course, would come the part where his partners would try to 'fix' him and, when that didn't work, the relationship would end bitterly and with many regrets. Atem found that he didn't want his time with Yuugi soiled this way. Accepting that it was best for them to go their separate ways before any of that could happen meant that they were able to part on relatively good, albeit awkward, terms. If nothing else, he appreciated being able to keep those good memories intact. 

It was the right thing to do, Atem reminded himself, as he clicked his briefcase close. 

A light breeze crept into his office from a slightly ajar window, and he felt his eyelids lower on their own when it brushed past him. It reminded him of the feather-like touch of Yuugi's fingertips running along his skin.

As soon as the intrusive thought passed through his mind, Atem shook his head, pushed it away, and then picked up his briefcase to leave.

It was the right thing to do, he reminded himself again.

And again. 

And just one more time, before he finally left his office.  

 

* * *

 

Yuugi could tell that Anzu was concerned about him. She had natural mother instincts - almost like spidy senses, except instead of crime, they were triggered by those in her circle experiencing pain.

But Anzu didn't pry, and Yuugi was entirely grateful that she dropped the subject after she noticed his visible discomfort.

Yuugi had been making a conscious effort to mask his misery, but it was difficult to do when even he was surprised with how much the separation was affecting him. He imagined he must have had tells; subtle changes in his tone and expression that gave him away, because his friends remained unconvinced no matter how many times he told them that he was _fine_.

To prove it, he finally agreed to accompany his friends to a local bar with a big enough dance floor that Anzu could dance her own lingering sorrows away from her recent breakup. 

Katsuya was stuck at work all night and noticeably absent and, though Yuugi missed his friend's exuberance, he was secretly grateful, because unlike Anzu, Katsuya was _relentless_ in his questions. 

As for the others, Ryou and Honda were both able to make it that evening.  

Atem was not. 

Another blessing, since Yuugi wasn't quite ready to face the man with the expectation of remaining entirely platonic. Even now, in between songs, all he could think of was Atem's firm lips trailing lines across his stomach and down his thighs. 

Pulling himself from fantasies he had no business entertaining, Yuugi shifted his focus to Anzu, who was sporting form-fitting jeans and a beautiful peach blouse that accentuated her skin tone. She was moving to the beat of the current song, right in the middle of the dance floor. The woman was in her element, and it was comforting for Yuugi to see his friend in a moment of uncut joy. Honda himself had been dragged off by a petite dark-haired woman, which left he and Ryou manning their booth. The bar lights were dimmed, but not dark, and there were a few extra bright lights that moved seamlessly around the dance floor. The music was loud, but not _club loud_ , not piercing. The lyrics were distinct enough to encourage those seated to nod or sing along, but the subdued bass still allowed for conversation. Thus, Yuugi was able to hear Ryou rather clearly when his friend asked him the dreaded question. 

"Hey. Is everything okay?" Ryou lowered his pint glass to the table and gazed at him. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want," he hastened to add. "You just seem... kinda sad."

Yuugi really had to work on his poker face, it seemed. "Oh, yeah, everything's fine." Yuugi offered his companion a small smile, then glanced to his hands.

He wasn't quite ready to tell his friends what was going on. They would want to know the details after all. The _what_ , the _when_ , the _why_  and, most importantly, the _who._

But he didn't sense that those were questions Ryou actually cared to ask. In fact, when Yuugi had last confided in Ryou, the light-haired man had not asked for many details at all. He simply listened and reflected and shared his thoughts in a way that he hoped would be helpful.

Yuugi found all of that very appealing in the moment.

After all, he hadn't been able to speak about Atem to anyone, or how the loss of the man was weighing heavy on his chest.

It was hurting him to pretend that it wasn't.

"Uh, sorry, it's just..." Yuugi scratched his left wrist gently. "That guy I told you about... we ended things."

"Oh." Ryou shot him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said. 

Yuugi shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay. We both wanted different things," he said, glancing back up at Ryou. "It was for the best."

Something in Ryou's gaze softened then, his eyes suddenly full of sympathy, and Yuugi wasn't sure why.

There was a small pause.

"You're crying," Ryou said quietly. 

"What?" Yuugi's hand shot up, and he gasped when the pads of his fingers touched his wet cheek. He frantically wiped at his eyes, a small laugh leaving him. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I have no idea where that came from."

Ryou frowned, his head tilting a bit. "You don't have to apologize for being sad," he told him, and Yuugi didn't realize how much he needed to hear those words until that very moment. He breathed out softly at the validation. He supposed there was a part of him that had been craving it given how utterly ridiculous he had been feeling for being so torn up over a man he wasn't even _dating_.

"Yeah..." Yuugi murmured, smiling softly at Ryou. "I guess... I just miss him, more than I thought I would. We spent so much time together. Like, we were always around each other and, even when we weren't, I knew it was just a matter of time until we would be again. But that's not the case anymore, and now he's just gone, and there's all this... space left behind."

Ryou listened intently, his fingers tapping against his glass. He sipped at his drink thoughtfully, then said, "You can fill it with other things, y'know. Or with other people who want the same things you want."

"Yeah, I suppose," he said, even though he wasn't so sure. After all, how was he supposed to fill a void that was shaped like Atem? How was he supposed to fit it to someone else?

Yuugi figured he didn't really have a choice in the matter.

"I have a friend or two that you might like," Ryou offered kindly. "I know blind dates aren't your cup of tea, but maybe I could invite them to a group outing. Who knows? You might strike up a conversation and find out you have a lot in common."

Yuugi's immediate reaction was to decline, but he stopped himself before he could utter the words. The whole reason he broke things off with Atem was because he wanted to find someone to settle down with. That wasn't going to happen if he didn't put himself out there; if he hid beneath the memories of Atem's skin hot against his, and the man's lips at his neck.   

There was someone else out there for him; he knew there was.

There had to be.

"Thanks, that sounds nice," Yuugi eventually agreed. "Not now, though. I think I need a few more weeks to pull myself together and put this behind me. I'd prefer to go into this with as least amount of baggage as possible," Yuugi said with a self-depreciating chuckle. He wanted to lighten the mood, even if it was at his expense. 

"That's very mature of you, Yuugi," Ryou praised. "It sounds like this... wasn't an easy decision for you, but... it's nice that you know what you want."

Yuugi smiled at his friend and then proceeded to let the subject drop, taking some reprieve in his innermost thoughts.

He did know what he wanted.

He wanted a relationship; he wanted to fall in love and be loved; he wanted to build a life and a home with someone. He knew all of that; he had wanted those things for as long as he could remember, and yet... he felt little seeds of doubt burying themselves in his heart. He knew his future self would thank him for this, for his will-power and self-respect, but still, all he wanted in this very moment was to barge into Atem's house and seek out that stuck-up, emotionally stunted man, who was probably sitting on that stupid blue couch watching his stupid crime shows, and kiss his perfect face until his heart stopped hurting. 

 _"It's nice that you know what you want,"_ Ryou's words rang through his head again. 

Yuugi exhaled a deep breath and turned back to watch his friends on the dance floor. 

_Do I?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1] i didn't want to leave you hanging for too long after the last chapter. not that this one is probably that much better because both of these boys are just bums and sad. that being said, i leave for a 1 week trip on June 14th without computer access so my goal is to get ch. 13 up before I leave for said trip. just hold on tight boys and girls.  
> 2] one of my readers mentioned she recently listened to the song this story is inspired by and it caused feels. seriously, if you have time, you should give it a listen. its a beautiful piece. and literally all of my chapter titles are just lyrics from the song.


	13. Kiss Me Three Times

Atem glanced at his phone, registering the brightened screen out of the corner of his eye. The small device lied on his coffee table, the gentle vibrations that accompanied a call requesting his attention.

There was a fleeting flicker of emotion, of disquiet, when he noticed the name of the caller - he hadn't seen that name in almost four weeks, and he didn't quite know how to feel about it suddenly presenting itself on his caller ID. Preferably, he'd feel nothing. He would simply ignore the call and move on with his afternoon, unbothered. 

And yet, the slither of apprehension did not leave him.

Perhaps the emotion was not as fleeting or as cursory as he'd first characterized it. 

He felt other things, too, though they were more quietly experienced -  temptation, curiosity, annoyance... and something else he didn't know what to name. 

All of these feelings were processed in a transient manner, as Atem had no interest in entertaining them for long. He'd much rather ignore his impetuous desires and his childish whims that cared little of consequence.  

Atem reached forward and picked his phone up from the table.

Silencing it, he returned his attention back to the TV. 

 

* * *

 

"Hey, Atem..."

Yuugi wished he sounded more confident than his voice portrayed him to be, but even just dialing Atem's number had stirred within him a bit of insecurity. 

It had felt like it had been ages since he had last heard the bottomless reflection of Atem's voice - or at least, it had been long enough that simply hearing it through the man's voicemail sent his nerves awry.

Yuugi took a moment to compose himself in the comfort of his own bedroom. 

"I was calling to let you know that I'm having a small get-together tonight, because I finally got that promotion I told you about, and since I had talked to you so much about some of my more recent projects, it felt... weird not telling you." Yuugi picked at a loose thread at the hem of his shirt, his eyes at a downcast. "You don't have to come, I know things are still... you know. But I wanted to extend the invite in case you were free..." Yuugi bit his lip. He tried to dismiss the sudden pang of regret reverberating in his chest, but the echo was too pronounced to ignore. He shouldn't have called. "Anyways, I hope you're doing well, and I..."

There were traitorous words rising in his throat like bile, begging to be spoken. ' _I miss you'_  being the most prominent one.

Yuugi hung up, before they could betray him. 

He had no desire for Atem to know how difficult this had been for him, as he, himself, was still trying to piece together why it had been such a feat for him to move on. 

He knew it was going to be challenging, at first.

After all, Atem had become a very consistent fixture in his life, and his absence left behind an emptiness Yuugi had desperately been trying to fill, per Ryou's advice.

However, as the weeks wore on, and the intensity of his feelings did not subside, Yuugi felt figuratively backed into a corner; forced to come to terms with the simple truth that Atem had meant more to him than he had initially thought.

And it wasn't just because he missed the company Atem provided or the sex that soothed the ache inside of him. 

What Yuugi had been experiencing over this past month was _actual_ emotional distress, akin to how Yuugi had felt in the past following a breakup from a romantic partner. 

It was like that...

But somehow, worse. 

In spite of all of this, he was... coping.  

Granted, by coping, he meant he had been pulling incredibly long hours to distract himself. He worked so much, in fact, that he was offered a promotion he had been seeking for ages. It was a consolation prize for his troubles, he supposed. 

Still, he was more than proud of himself, and happier still that his friends had all been willing to join him that evening to celebrate his success with him. 

"Hey, buddy," Katsuya greeted, the first guest to arrive at his door. "Lookin' real spiffy," he said, shooting finger guns towards the short man's outfit. 

Yuugi smiled at the compliment, brushing his hands over his purple button-up shirt. He had complimented the dress shirt with a pair of gray slacks. "Thanks! I figured it was a special occasion, so..." he finished with a lame wave of his hand. 

"Well, I dig it." Yuugi watched his blond friend glance around his living room, as though uncertain as to whether they had the privacy for him to continue. "So, are you feelin' better about... whatever was goin' on before?"

"Nothing was going on," Yuugi repeated for what had to be the fifth hundred time. "I was just stressed, y'know. I had to work a lot of OT for this." Yuugi offered his friend a smile. "But as always, I appreciate you looking out for me."

"What are best buds for?" Katsuya pat him once on the shoulder, mirroring the other's smile. There was a small pause before Katsuya added, "Just know that you can always talk to me if you need to."

A tiny bubble of guilt burst in Yuugi's chest. He didn't necessarily want to keep his best friend out of the loop; it was atypical for either of them to erect barriers from the other, even when it came to personal matters.

However, he knew that it was best for everyone if he sat on all of this a bit longer.

And to be perfectly honest, it wasn't only his secret to share. 

"Of course, Jou," Yuugi said. He was about to change the subject when he was interrupted by a knock at the door. 

Excusing himself, Yuugi left Katsuya in the living room and walked through the small adjoining foyer to his front door. He found three familiar faces waiting for him on the other side.

"Hey guys!" Yuugi welcomed warmly. "Did you all carpool?"

"Bussed it," Honda replied with a shrug. "Just happened to be on the same bus."

Continuing the pleasant greetings, Yuugi stepped aside to allow his guests entry, and the trio went about their usual ritual when visiting Yuugi's - hanging up their coats on the rack and removing their shoes by the welcome mat. 

It was only once they had settled in that Yuugi noticed a brightly covered present under the crook of Ryou's arm. 

Anzu must've noticed his curious gaze. "Oh, yes, we got you something!" she chirped, excitedly.

"Oh, you guys really didn't need to get me anything," Yuugi said, a tad sheepish. "It's not that big - "

"Nonsense," Ryou intervened, placing the gift down onto Yuugi's living room table. "This is a big deal. You shouldn't downplay your accomplishments."

His other friends echoed the sentiment and, when Yuugi smiled wide at them, it was the first one in weeks that didn't feel forced onto his face. "Thank you!" Yuugi exclaimed graciously. 

"You're welcome," Honda responded. He gestured to the box in his own grasp, this one unwrapped for all to see. He held it out towards the center of the group. "Now I brought Pictionary, so grab a beer and get ready lady and gents," Honda announced, a challenge in his words. "I'm about to draw circles around ya'll."

Honda's declaration was followed by a few wagers to the contrary, all of which was sandwiched between collective bits of laughter. Yuugi smiled at his four friends, as the group went about setting up the pads and pencils around his table, forever grateful for them and their company. 

But still, he felt as though there was something missing. 

Or rather, a certain  _someone_  who would've evened out their teams.

 

* * *

 

Pictionary led to other team games - some cooperative, others competitive. To keep the teams even, they each took turns alternating in and out of game-play. 

Yuugi hadn't realized how much he needed a night like this until he was in the thick of it; until he was so preoccupied by the indignant shouts and muffled laughter of his friends that the vacancy inside of his chest felt less like an open wound and more like a scab that merely itched every now and again. Perhaps, with a bit more time, he would be able to accept Atem's minimal and platonic presence in his life. He missed Atem, of course, he missed the deep edge of his voice, the reserve of his stare, and the brief glimpses of a man that had much more depth than he showed to the world, but Yuugi also knew why things needed to be this way. 

Still, he wanted Atem in his life, he wanted to get to a point where he could just view Atem as a distant friend or a casual acquaintance, because, at least then, Atem and he could occasionally see each other, and Yuugi much preferred that over the degree of avoidance and static silence currently transpiring between the two of them.  

He just hoped that by the time they did cross paths again, he'd be able to truly accept that they'd never be anything more.

"Hey, Anzu, _hurry it up!_ " Honda hollered from the curbside, his voice loud (and drunk) enough to carry it into the foyer of Yuugi's home. "Uber's here!"

 _"Coming!_ " Anzu returned with equal volume, stepping out onto Yuugi's porch. She turned to smile at her shorter friend. "Thank you for hosting, Yuugi, we all had a great time! Let's get together some time next week for some lunch, okay?" 

"Of course. Just text me the time and the place."

"Will do." She bent at the waist to place a quick peck to his cheek. "Take care."

"You too," Yuugi said with a smile. "Now go on, before Honda has an aneurysm." 

A flood of light laughter trailed behind her departing figure and, with a sigh of content, Yuugi stepped back inside his home and shut the door behind him, his mind wandering. He had little else planned for the weekend, and he was grateful for the break in his schedule. He had admittedly fallen behind on house tasks and errands, absorbed as he had been in his work and failing love life, but he felt in much better spirits after this evening, and he hoped he'd be able to carry some of that into the next day and finally tackle some of his more neglected projects.  

He had barely begun to put away the remnants of their last game when a knock resonated through the adjoining foyer.

"What'd you guys forget?" Yuugi called out, walking up to the door and opening it wide for whichever of his slightly intoxicated friends had misplaced a belonging.

But it wasn't one of his friends that he found on his doorstep. 

Yuugi froze, his entire body locking up on the spot. His breath seized in his lungs. 

"Atem...?"

The cherry gaze of his former lover was unreadable, and the man's silence did little to clarify his reasoning for showing up unannounced at Yuugi's door. 

Yuugi watched Atem take a step towards him, and Yuugi mimicked the motion, stepping back, his heart in his throat. All his progress, all of the steps he had made in his pursuit to free himself from Atem's inexplicable hold vanished into thin air, as he gazed upon the dark red gaze locked onto his, and the crown of black hair, enmeshed with golden strands that reminded Yuugi of royalty and wistful fantasies. 

Someone may as well have ripped the scab right off and opened his wound anew.

"What are you doing here?" Yuugi managed to ask him. 

Atem seemed to be in a state of perpetual unhelpfulness, remaining quiet as he stepped just far enough into the foyer that he was able to close the front door behind him. 

What Yuugi didn't know was that Atem was not intentionally being obstinate. He just... didn't know what to say.

Atem wished he had an answer for Yuugi about his reason for being here, but he didn't.

He didn't even remember making the decision to come here. One moment, he had been watching TV on his couch, and then the next he was walking outside - and now he was here, because this is where every road in Domino seemed to lead him to. 

He had no desire to lend a voice to such absurd thoughts, however. He did not want to share with Yuugi his struggle these past weeks, and his apparent inability to stay away from the younger man.

Despite finding himself at a current loss for words, his body continued to move on auto-pilot, as if knowing exactly what it wanted, even if his mind and heart didn't. 

The next thing Yuugi knew he was being pressed up against his own front door. 

Yuugi brought a hand to Atem's chest and rested it against the firmness that laid underneath the man's sleeveless leather shirt. "D-don't," he stumbled over the word. 

Atem's hands moved, seemingly on their own, to hold onto either side of Yuugi's face, and when he breathed, it was Yuugi's air that filled his lungs. "Don't make me beg, Yuugi," Atem said, finally breaking his silence. He did not remember the last time he had spoken so earnestly. 

Yuugi closed his eyes tight, because they suddenly burned. "We _can't_ ," Yuugi whispered, and they were so close that his vowels brushed against Atem's lips as he spoke. "This... what you're doing... it just makes me hope that you want more, too, and it's not fair."

"I know it's not," Atem said to him, but that knowledge did little to keep them apart.

Their lips still found each other's, Yuugi's hands curling into the fabric of Atem's shirt, wrinkling it, and Atem felt a dampness at his fingers - the ones still laying against Yuugi's cheek. 

Foreheads resting against one another, Atem withdrew his lips from Yuugi's, just enough so that he could speak. "This is the last time," Atem muttered the promise to him. "I swear, I won't... I don't want to hurt you..."

Yuugi didn't know when he had given Atem such power over him... since when could Atem break his heart like this, in a blink of an eye? _How_ could he be so careless?

He was being foolish, and Yuugi knew he needed to stop this from going any further, knew what would happen if he didn't.

And yet, when he felt Atem hands pulling at his shirt, instead of pushing him away, he helped him pull it off. 

Fervent fingers touched heated, sensitive skin, and Atem's mouth was suddenly on his again, as they stripped each other down to nothing.

In the heat of the moment, Yuugi was reminded of their first time, against the wall of the narrow hallways in Katsuya's apartment. He found himself torn between that moment and this one, as Atem hiked his leg up and wrapped it around his strong waist. Damp fingers pressed at his entrance, asking, and Yuugi involuntarily relaxed, his muscles giving way for the prying digits to stretch him. Their breathing was ragged, desperate, but still Yuugi was stuck, lost somewhere between the past and the present. 

A groan left him on it's own accord, his neck arching and back of his head coming to rest against the cool surface of his front door, as Atem pressed his arousal to his entrance and pushed inside of him.

Yuugi felt lips brushing against the underside of his jaw then and, just like that, Yuugi was ripped from the memory of their past, because that's when he knew - this was _nothing_ like the first time. 

Their first time was on a dark November night - both of them trying to suppress moans and grunts of pleasure, as Atem pressed his face to the wall and fucked him like he had greatly offended Atem somehow and was being punished for it. 

This though... this encounter was stained with desperate kisses and conflicted feelings and unsure hearts. This was desire generated out of need, not want. This was passion that was brought about by absence, separation, and neglect. 

Pleas gushed from Yuugi's mouth like a waterfall, as Atem fucked him against the front door. Yuugi only wished he could stay there forever with Atem pushing into him like this, slow enough that he could feel every pulse of Atem's cock inside of him. A few rogue tears escaped their watery prison, Yuugi's ability to contain them weakened under the strain of blissful euphoria coursing through him. 

He shuddered at Atem's breath in ear, the baritone voice seeking to please him, to imprint himself inside of him permanently, and Yuugi felt his stomach clenching too early. 

There was no muting his climax, and Atem was patient enough to let him ride it out with filth muttered against his cheek. 

And then, they were in his room, on his bed, Atem settled against his headboard, and Yuugi's legs encasing his hips. The smaller man winced when Atem's pulsing, engorged cock slipped back inside of him, but the sting and ache of being stretched again did not last long. It only took a few well-timed, upward thrusts to turn every physical sensation back to pleasurable.

Yuugi watched with an intent gaze as a small bead of sweat ran down Atem's neck, and he had the sudden urge to follow it down and over every curve of Atem's lean body with the tip of his tongue. 

Atem's hands moved before he could follow through with his impulse, one rising to hold his chin in place, and the other winding around him to rest on the curve of his back. "I shouldn't be here," Atem mumbled out loud in between grunts, and it would've almost sounded like an apology if not for the frustration lacing his words.

Yuugi could not place the emotion that filtered through him at Atem's declaration, but whatever it was, it left him feeling neither pleased nor offended.

Rather, he felt lost.

"Then why'd you come?" Yuugi whispered through his shallow pants.

It took the younger man by surprise when Atem stilled in his movements beneath him, his dark, lust-filled eyes open and searching Yuugi's face. "I don't know," he eventually admitted. "I wish we never... I was so content with how things were before. I didn't want for anything," Atem muttered quietly to him. "But you... you make me want things."

Yuugi did not have time to respond, because Atem began moving again, with more intensity than before, taking him with a hint of exasperation now, and it ripped Yuugi's breath straight out of his lungs when Atem bucked upward at just the right angle. His internal conflict momentarily disappeared and was replaced with something hot and overbearing; something that made his own erection throb painfully. 

Desperate to feel that again, Yuugi rocked against Atem, moving his hips to meet the man's every thrust, and Atem's breathing changed, becoming more erratic. With his head hitting the back of the headboard, Atem arched deeper inside of Yuugi and then held Yuugi's hips in place, cursing under his breath as he came. 

Once Atem had released his steel grip on his hips, it took little more than a brush of Atem's long, tan fingers over his cock, in conjunction with the liquid heat pooling inside of him, for Yuugi to find his own release again. 

"Don't leave," Yuugi mumbled before he had even given himself a chance to come down from his high. Both of his hands moved to cup the sides of Atem's face and, closing the space between them, Yuugi kissed him deeply - once... twice... and then a third time, for good measure, but also for stupid reasons that were born out of sentiment. He'd deal with those consequences later.

Atem's face was contorted when Yuugi pulled away from him, troubled and conflicted, but still, he seemed to acquiesce to Yuugi's request, submitting to the other's gentle touch and the softness of his sheets. They settled into Yuugi's bed without any other words, a tension between them that seemed subdued for the time being. They remained intertwined with one another, the contact intimate, and Yuugi surrendered to it all without a shred of hesitation. 

He took the opportunity to hide his face in the crook of Atem's neck and breathe in his scent, listening to the sound of Atem's breathing as it regulated and slowed. 

He stayed awake for as long as he could, to bask in their bittersweet reunion, for he knew tomorrow would not be nearly as pleasant.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1] chapter inspired by 'The Last Time' by Taylor Swift.  
> 2] sorry for the delay in this, puzzle June kicked my ass (and is still doing so XD). will try to get back to more regular updates!


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